The Christmas Gift
by Nessessitee
Summary: *J/D SLASH FIC* Jack's beloved mother has died, and now it's Christmas time with his family. He invites the rest of his team along to share it with him, however it's only Daniel who goes. 1/7 chapters
1. Default Chapter

**The Christmas Gift**

Archived April 2002

Daniel Jackson carefully wrapped an ancient artifact in padding before laying it gingerly onto the bottom of a box on his desk. He was growing aware of the sound of familiar footsteps coming along the hallway outside his office. The sound of the whistle was unmistakable too and the cheerful rapping of knuckles on the door clearly identified his caller without a shadow of a doubt. Even before he heard the voice, Daniel knew Jack had just entered his office. And he knew he was in good humor - not something Jack had been recently, following the unexpected death of his much beloved mother two and a half months ago...

When Maude O'Neill died in late September Jack's world was rocked. He was on P3x4301 when Feretti came through, looking as white as a sheet. He wasn't meant to tell Jack anything, he was just meant to get him back to the Base where Hammond had the unpleasant duty of informing him that his mother had suffered a massive coronary and died instantly on the floor of her kitchen.

However, as soon as Jack was recalled he started badgering Feretti to find out why his team was being pulled from the high priority mission. Daniel, he'd argued passionately on behalf of his annoyed friend, had put a lot of work into his speech, for crying out loud! Feretti was adamant though, and didn't say a thing, just kept telling him that his orders were to bring SG-1 'home' ASAP.

Finally, as they reached the gate, Jack gripped the smaller man by the collar and shook him until he choked out the news. Sam and Daniel both were ready to catch Jack, he'd gone so pale. Suddenly Jack turned on Daniel, yelling at him to get the damn gate open, but everyone knew by then it was too late.

Back at the base Jack didn't even wait for Hammond's version. He rushed straight through the crowds heading for the elevator. He threatened anyone who got in his way as tears streamed down his face while he pushed and shoved his way towards the surface. Hammond had no choice but to allow Jack to go, hoping with all his might that the team didn't pick anything up on the mission that might harm the rest of the world. Fraiser put his mind to rest, somewhat, reminding him that the team had been through to this world before, and all test results were negative then. On that news, Hammond waved his hand and dismissed the rest of Jack's team, the three of them scrambling for the elevators and up to the surface with him.

The next few weeks after that were tough. Jack, who normally kept his feelings behind a locked door, was even more withdrawn. He flew to be with his family and stayed longer than he'd been allowed to, but Hammond didn't reprimand him for that. He simply put Sam in charge of SG-1 and they carried on their missions without the colonel. When he returned home again, each one of his team went by his house to check on him. The only one that made it through the door was Daniel. Jack gave his reasons for that. Teal'c wouldn't understand and Sam was his subordinate. Daniel, his only real peer in the team, was the only one Jack seemed to be able to allow near him during this time of mourning.

Then last week, after things were starting to settle down to some kind of normality again, Jack asked every member of his team up to the O'Neill Family Cabin for the Christmas break. He never said why he'd invited them this year, and never before, but they all thought it might have something to do with Jack not being quite ready to face his family so soon after Maude's death. All three agreed there and then, and Jack's smile remained on his face that day.

So, as he wafted into Daniel's office that morning, a cheerful skip in his step and a light-hearted tone in his voice, Daniel greeted him with relief. As the anthropologist lifted his face, a smile ready set in place, he was surprised by the vision before him. Jack had lost the telltale dark circles under his eyes that one usually got following a session of mourning. Instead, before him was a man who looked like he might have stepped off the pages of a fashion magazine. He wore a rough-hued, beige sweater, his hair was lightly tousled like he'd run his hand through it just before stepping into the office, and he was wearing faded denim jeans. Daniel couldn't recall the last time he saw Jack in denim. He often wore beige pants to work but they did not suit him nearly as much as this outfit did! In fact, Daniel thought as he stood there, mouth-agape slightly while he stared at his friend, Jack looked good enough to eat! Diverting his eyes before the drool had a chance to hit his chin, Daniel tried to occupy his hands and mind, and all the time he was asking himself: Why, oh why did Jack O'Neill have to keep improving with age? Why couldn't he just grow 'old' like others.. not 'better'!

"So.. Daniel," Jack said as he gleefully clapped his hands together then rubbed the palms against each other.

"So.. Jack.." Daniel returned in a well-practiced voice. He knew how to hide his choking secret from his friend. He'd been doing so for over a year now.

The colonel arched a brow as he held his hands out towards him now. "You don't 'look' very ready..." He ended his sentence with a sharp shrug as he dropped his hands to his thighs, letting them slap loudly against his jeans.

"You .. noticed that, huh?" Daniel muttered and smiled wistfully before turning to the box, seeking some kind of distraction from the little faded pouch at the front of Jack's jeans, revealed when the older man lifted his arms up and, in turn, raised the hem of the sweater slightly.

Jack cocked his head slightly to the side as he stepped up to his friend's shoulder. "You're not going to pull out on me, too. Are you??" He asked as he peered into the box. As soon as he put his hand into the box, curious to discover what was under all that wrapping, Daniel slapped it away quickly, giving him a dirty look.

"Too?" The younger man asked finally when his brain had time to review the conversation. Jack's chocolate-brown eyes flittered towards Daniel then back at the wrapped item in the box.

Casually flinging his hand beside his head, he told him, "Oh, Teal'c's decided he wants to visit his kid..."

Daniel's brows shot up quickly then he nervously twitched as he tilted his head. "But.. Sam's ...still...?"

"No," Jack said quickly, then dragged his eyes from the box to look at his friend once more. As he shoved his hands into his back pockets nonchalantly, he lifted his chin into the air while saying, "Jacob sent for her about half hour ago. Didn't you hear the alarms?"

Daniel blinked. No, he had not. Not that he'd have given it any thought anyway. Alarms were always going off in that place!

"That's a pity.." The archaeologist muttered. Jack's mouth twitched with a smile, which he instantly lost when Daniel's eyes lifted to meet his again.

"Damn shame. Still, the family will like you," He said, turning towards the box once more. Daniel frowned.

"You still want to go? With just me?" He asked, his voice soft and sincere. Slowly Jack's attention returned to his friend. He looked Daniel up then down, and then met the puzzled blue eyes with another smile.

"Why not?"

With a roll of his eyes, Daniel muttered, "Just thought.. well.. it's a family thing.."

Jack's smile faltered as he frowned and asked, "you trying to break this, too?"

"No!" Daniel said quickly, but in truth, he didn't relish being alone with Jack for three days. It would be easier with Sam and Teal'c there - well, with Sam there - she'd probably distract Jack so much he'd forget 'he' was even there. Touching his fingers to his mouth briefly, Daniel lowered his face. Jack's frown grew as he watched his friend.

Looking up once more, the anthropologist tilted his head slightly as he said, "You really want to spend your Christmas with me?"

The smile returned to Jack's face, creasing deep lines down each cheek and making the dark eyes twinkle in the dull light. "Of course I do," he said in a deep and sincere voice. Daniel felt himself smile involuntarily, then he dipped his face for fear that Jack should see how much this act of friendship meant to him.

Looking around the room when the silence grew too awkward, Jack asked him, "How much longer do you need?"

"Huh?" Wide, blue eyes stared through round lenses.

"To get ready?" Jack said as he waved his hand towards him. "Or are you intending to meet my family in your uniform?"

The absent-minded scientist looked down at himself. He was still in his green fatigues from the briefing that morning. With an apologetic smile, he shrugged. Jack grinned.

"How about I meet you in fifteen? In the commissary?"

"Why the commissary?"

The older man shrugged. "I'm hungry."

"Ah!" Daniel folded his arms across his chest.

Jack looked briefly at the box then at him. "Fifteen?"

Daniel nodded. Jack backed off, also nodding as he went, then he turned and headed back down the hall, his whistle growing faint as he moved further away.

The troubled man's eyes fluttered as he dissolved a little, worrying about how he was meant to endure the flight to the cabin then spend the following few days with Jack's family.

Daniel recalled the year just gone ~ a year in which his friendship for Jack had grown into love. Since the debacle about the 'rouge' SGC teams, when Jack masqueraded as someone who'd gone dark-side on them all, Daniel had noted how attentive his friend had seemed to become. Jack was forever inviting him to dinner after that, or to catch a game or, more rarely, suggesting he bring a video and some pizza and spend the night at Daniel's place instead. The anthropologist didn't fault his friend on his attention. In fact, if Daniel was honest, all the attention Jack lavished on him of late was what had started to give him thoughts of grandeur regarding their relationship. Because Jack was being so attentive to his needs, taking him to dinner and insisting on paying for the check, Daniel was left with mixed feelings. On one hand he reasoned that Jack was merely trying to buy his way back into his good books. On the other hand, and he'd sincerely wished this was the truth, he thought that perhaps Jack was 'courting' him... discreetly.

On days when he was realistic, however, he knew he didn't stand a chance with Jack O'Neill. Especially considering how the relationship between Sam and Jack seemed to building up into something he had no way of preventing. He tried to ignore it all at first, even mentioning it to Jack in a gentle, teasing way. Jack's answer was strictly military, of course. He said that while he was her commander nothing would eventuate between them. Daniel could only take certain solace in that. It meant he wouldn't have to watch the two of them holding hands as they passed through the gate, but what it didn't rule out was the option of Jack retiring early to be with her instead.

Which was one of his concerns that day when he went around to discuss Jack's 'early retirement' with him - and then found out that nothing he'd based his trust on seemed to matter anymore. The foundation of their friendship was sinking - fast - into the mire. He wasn't sure, as he drove home stunned by the bitter conversation, what he'd ever done to be treated with such contempt by his 'friend'.

All he'd ever offered Jack was friendship and yet, it seemed, the man sort of despised him for his loyalty. The words, 'you're a bright man, you must have sensed some of this' kept floating in his mind. He hadn't sensed *any* of it... He'd just trusted.. And it was thrown back in his face as Jack sat there with that god-awful ugly smug smile and denounced everything he felt was 'true' about them. How Daniel had hated him after that, but it didn't last. Especially not once the truth came out and Jack stepped up his attention. Daniel didn't blame himself though. Jack was full on with his attempts to repair the damage, and Daniel, who had never really despised Jack, began to feel sorry for him, which eventually whittled away the barrier he'd put up until his true feelings were allowed to shine through once more. And shine through they did. Brighter than ever before!

When the incident with Thor's ship happened, and he sat there faced with the prospect of losing Jack for good, he knew his thoughts were compromised. He was emotionally estranged, confused and starved of affection and tenderness. Not that Jack ever gave him any of that, but with one simple smile, Daniel could feel that he'd touched the man in a way no other person ever could, or would. Without Jack for that week he took some solace in the company of Major Paul Davis. Nothing too much, just a few companionable dinner dates and one goodnight kiss in Paul's car while the engine still purred. But it never felt 'right'. Although he was attracted to the young officer, Daniel knew that he was trying to fill a hole with the wrong substance. That's why he never allowed it to progress too far and the day that Jack and the others returned to earth, Daniel only had to take one look at the man on the end of the ramp to know one thing... Somewhere, in the process of forgiving and forgetting what had happened between them he'd falling in love with Jack! When he reached out to touch Teal'c's white strip of beard and Jack slapped him away, Daniel wasn't ever sure if it was to stop him from touching Teal'c.. Or to stop him from touching 'another man' in front of Jack. He fancied the latter, of course!

But then things started to go horribly wrong. Sam got in the way. The two of them exchanged nauseating glances, smirks and secrets that he was not privy to. He tried to ignore the incidents at first, to tell himself it wasn't as it appeared, that Jack was close to them all. He even stooped to reminding himself that Jack never ever invited Sam to his house for beer and hockey.. Not like he had with him on several occasions.

He'd almost convinced himself of all this too, and relaxed with the knowledge that while Sam got the occasional sideways glance and secret smirk from Jack, it was him, Daniel, who got to spend the night, albeit on his sofa, at Jack's place nearly every weekend. That was, until Anise came with that stupid mind probe and they had that ridiculous confession from the two of them. Daniel was left to wonder again, when he wasn't told by either of them about the incident but had to overhear the gossip around the Base of what had gone on in that room that day instead. That day - while *he * was busy trying to make diplomatic negotiations between Earth and the Tok'Ra High Council - the man he'd fallen in love with was making declarations of caring 'more than he should' for Major Samantha Carter. Jack should have told him! It might have hurt less coming from him….

Then there was the 'time loop' that Jack and Teal'c were caught in. Jack wouldn't talk too much about what had happened during a lot of the loops, but he did tell him that 'yes, he kissed Sam' but that he also did something else he'd been longing to do for a long time that he finally got to do - without reproach. When Daniel tried to ascertain what that was, Jack clammed up and wouldn't talk about it again. It didn't matter though. Daniel had his answer. Jack *had * kissed Sam.... It was a concluded thing. Jack would eventually itch too much for her and retire, thereby making himself available to marry her - and keep her career intact. What it also meant was that he would go out of Daniel's life, too. That thought was almost too unbearable for the anthropologist.

Hot on the heels of this was the incident involving Professor Jordan, when he was forced to go back and rekindle some not so warm flames with past friends. Sarah was fine, while she was still herself. But Steven, well, he never seemed to forgive Daniel for walking out on him all those years ago. Daniel knew he had some pretty damaged fences to mend there and after the incident with Osiris he had that opportunity. The SGC acquired Steven and put him in the nearby hospital to recuperate. Daniel went to see him more often than he thought he would and soon things were 'better' between them.

One evening, as they were talking quietly in Steven's hospital room, Jack walked in, unannounced. Daniel yanked his hand from Steven's so fast the ailing man flinched. Jack looked from Daniel to Steven then back to Daniel again before leaving the room without another word. He managed to move so damn fast that he was at the elevator before Daniel could catch up to him. The conversation did not go well; Daniel felt embarrassed and angry and Jack was tightlipped and, seemingly, furious - the flesh on his throat was ruddy and his eyes were narrow and piercing. While they never discussed the situation again it was clear, Daniel felt, that Jack suspected something between the two archaeologists. This added to Daniel's frustration, because he saw it as Jack's refusal to explore the possibility that 'something' was happening between the two of them in the room and that maybe, just maybe, his best friend was gay and wanted to talk about that. But that wasn't Jack's style, of course! Instead he clamped up and never ventured near that subject again, choosing instead, Daniel supposed, to bury his heterosexual head in Sam's bosom of understanding instead.

When Steven opted to work at Area 51 instead of joining the SGC, as a Chief Researcher on the artifacts that the SGC teams collected and brought back to base, Daniel felt alone again. There was one consolation though, that while the prospect of a lover was now out of reach he and Jack went back to the camaraderie that they'd always had. But on the edge of everything they shared, Daniel felt, was Sam. He felt her even if Jack never brought her into the conversation or their activities. Whenever Jack wasn't with him, he knew that the two of them were in clandestine meeting, carrying on in a way that they shouldn't but that probably added to the excitement for them.

Daniel felt so alone!

So when he received the invitation to the cabin in Minnesota via e-mail as he worked late one evening he waited before responding. At first he wasn't sure about the offer and decided to wait until he knew what the others thought. They were in Jack's office the next day and he asked each of them if they had considered the offer. It came to little surprise to him that Sam agreed almost immediately, teasing Jack by saying that last time 'she' let him go somewhere on his own, he ended up saving the world - again! This time, she'd told Jack, he was just going to get some well-deserved R&R. Standing beside her in Jack's office the anthropologist couldn't help but wonder about how much rest Sam was intending to let Jack have during this, one of the most romantic times of the year.

End of part 1

* * *


	2. The Christmas Gift Chapter two

**The Christmas Gift** - **Part 2**

As the plane engines hummed in their ears Jack slotted his eyes and looked at the pale man beside him. Biting his lips together, he held back the smile that wanted to brim on his lips - but he cared too much for Daniel to make light of his fear of flying, even if it seemed an unfounded fear considering what they all did for a living. So he kept himself to himself and left Daniel to remain pale beside him.

A short time later, while he was reading his novel, the small plane hit turbulence. He noted, out of the corner of his eye, how Daniel's grip tightened on the arm of his seat, and he quirked a brow. His gaze shifted to the white knuckles and he felt a stab of pity, and regret, for his friend.

Obviously flying was not something Daniel enjoyed, yet he made this trip, knowing it would be in a small plane and that turbulence, when it hit, would hit harder. Dropping his book into his lap he turned to his friend and asked him, in a low whisper, "You okay?"

Daniel's eyes didn't shift from the back of the seat in front of him as he nodded quickly. They all bumped again and Jack watched Daniel swallow nervously. Shifting in his seat he leaned closer to him and whispered again, "you sure?"

Daniel blinked rapidly then his golden lashes fluttered as he tried to casually shrug. Jack placed his hand over the one gripping the armrest between their seats and told him, "It'll be over soon. We'll down in about ten minutes."

Daniel swallowed then laughed, despite his fears. Turning towards his perplexed companion he said, "you do mean properly, huh? Like, as in landing..?"

Jack's face split with a smile then he patted Daniel's clammy hand. "And I promise you, after that it's a twenty minute drive, no sweat! We'll be at the cabin, the family will love you, and you'll have egg nog..."

Daniel's eyes had focused onto Jack's and held the stare, as if Jack was replacing the headrest as a focal point for Daniel's fear-conquering technique. Jack knew the trick for combating one's fear - focus on one point and just stare at it and soon, it was said, the fear would level out and it might dissipate altogether. It was a theory anyway, one he'd never had need for in his life, and watching the way Daniel had drilled his eyes into the back of the seat in front of him the entire trip, he started to wonder if it actually worked. After all, Daniel was still terrified.

Now he couldn't help but notice the intensity of Daniel's blue-eyed gaze, like he was staring almost through him. He just about had the urge to look back over his shoulder to see whom it was behind him that Daniel was staring at, but he resisted, keeping his own eyes locked with his friend's. It was small compensation but if it helped Daniel overcome a fear, hell, he'd do that for him. Besides, the view wasn't half bad!

Daniel now shuffled his shoulders around so that he was facing Jack a little better, but his eyes never lost contact. Instead, he pressed his temple into his own headrest as he asked, in a low whisper, "what are the roads like there?"

Jack cringed internally. If Daniel was asking this to take his fear off the flying, then it was way the wrong question to be asking! Sure, his fear for the plane would go, because if Jack were honest, Daniel would become totally terrified of the drive they had to endure after this ordeal. With a noncommittal shrug he said, "They're good..."

Daniel didn't seem to note the hesitant tone but smiled instead as his eyes closed briefly for the first time. "I've got to tell you Jack, I will be glad to get out of this plane."

The colonel felt deep regret now. What sort of friend was he for dragging Daniel along with him, knowing his fear flying and his allergy to travel? Yet despite all that, despite his own fears, Daniel was the only one to stick with him when he needed a friend the most! That really meant something to Jack. It showed him how Daniel put him first. Not too many people did that in Jack's life.

Patting the clammy hand once more, the older man reassured him, "Won't be long now." Then, perfectly on cue, the announcement was made for all passengers to return to their seats, to place their tray in an upright position and to secure all seatbelts. Jack smiled to his friend then watched as Daniel quickly tugged the belt already fastened across his lap to ensure it was tighter. Gripping the armrest again, Daniel was ready for the landing. Jack tucked his book beneath his thigh then yanked on his seatbelt.

Daniel leaned towards him and asked, "You're not leaving that book there, are you? What happens if we crash?"

Jack wanted to point out the absurdity of worrying about a paperback tucked under his thigh if the plane was plummeting out of control towards the ground, however he just gave his friend a quick nod, then reached forward and put his book in his bag. He sat back and noted the way Daniel was looking at the bag at his feet.

"For crying out loud," Jack hissed quietly as he reached forward once more and safely stowed the bag beneath the seat in front of him before sitting back in his seat again. Daniel gave him a somewhat appreciative smile then closed his eyes as he tightened his hold on the armrests again.

*

It was a much calmer companion that walked alongside him through the terminal, Jack observed. Daniel was obviously much more relaxed, his bag was slung casually over one shoulder, leaving him one hand free to stop and pick up nearly every souvenir that they passed in the stores.

"Really, Danny, we can get some stuff on the way home, if you want. But can we just get to the car now?" An exasperated Jack asked when Daniel stopped for the umpteenth time. With a shrug Daniel obeyed, falling in behind the older man as they headed towards the car rental counter.

*

The pretty woman behind the rental counter seemed to be eyeing Daniel off, much to Jack's annoyance. With a cough he drew her attention back to him and his paperwork, before shooting a glance over his shoulder to where Daniel remained, sitting on a chair with both bags by his feet. Looking back at the girl once more Jack caught her eye and she seemed to blush before looking down. It was on the tip of his tongue to make a glib comment about Daniel being 'taken' or something like that, but Jack had to remember that this place was still pretty small and word got around. Even in jest, he could cause some major embarrassment if he were to say what he wanted to say at that moment. So he let it go and he endured the task of the paperwork without further provocation.

When Daniel had tired of waiting around he came over to the counter and stood behind his friend, watching over his shoulder as Jack filled out the countless forms. Part of Jack was pleased that Daniel had done that. For some odd reason he gained some satisfaction from Daniel's close proximity and from the open mouth stare the pretty girl was fixing onto the oblivious man behind him. Soon the time came for the handing over of the keys and the girl asked Daniel, "Will you be driving too, Sir?"

"Oh?" Daniel looked at Jack, not really sure of that answer.

Jack shook his head and told her, "He's not used to the roads-"

She nodded thoughtfully then said, "Especially as bad as they are tonight. Should take you about forty minutes to reach your destination in this snow, Sir."

Daniel's brows arched high as he tilted his head to look at his friend.

"Forty minutes? Snow? Ugh...." He held a finger up and Jack knew, he just knew, that Daniel was about to challenge him there and then about the driving conditions.

"Come on, Danny! It's not like I haven't driven in this before, for crying out loud!"

"But.." Daniel's head tilted even further. Jack now held his finger up to silence his friend's fears.

"'But' nothing! Just think about how you'll be snug and warm in our cabin in about an hour's time. I'll even pour you your first eggnog myself!" He turned back to the girl and saw the surprised look on her face. So much for discretion, he thought, then realized he had to clear it up, for fear the wrong rumor would get about - not that he minded, but his family and Daniel deserved better than to be local town gossip over Christmas.

"You can take the relative out of the city.. but not the city out of the relative.." With a soft scoffing sound he went on, "Bout time he made a family reunion!" Jack smiled and nodded as he collected up the keys. "Well, you have a good one!"

She smiled at him then at Daniel. "You too. Hope the roads are passable on the Ridge.."

Daniel's mouth dropped open but before he could utter a word Jack had pushed him out of the small office and into the parking lot.

"What did she mean?" Daniel asked as they reached the rental. He noted that it was practically a snowmobile. "Jack?"

The older man sighed as he got into the vehicle. "Look, I promise you, it's not as bad as it seems. The roads are a little snowy, so I thought I'd get this baby.." He leaned forward and patted the dashboard.

"A snow plough?"

"Oh, Danny! For Pete's sake, this isn't a snow plough!"

"Looks like one!" Daniel grumbled.

Starting the engine, Jack said, "Shows you what you know, snow ploughs have a much bigger scoop at the front.." The large vehicle trundled out of the park slowly. Daniel sighed and made sure his seat belt was fastened securely before crossing his arms across his chest. Jack left him in his solitude while he concentrated on the roads.

*

By the time they reached the cabin Daniel had actually fallen asleep. That was something that Jack was pleased about, especially as they lost traction while rounding one of the bends on the Ridge and for a moment the back end slipped towards the edge. Still, due to his consummate driving, Jack had managed to keep the vehicle on the narrow road and Daniel would be none the wiser about the near miss.

As he shut off the loud engine the silence flooded his ears. He took a moment to enjoy it before leaning across to his sleeping friend and stopped to watch him sleep. He looked over at the Cabin, made generations ago by his ancestors and recently added onto by his father, and he recalled many times turning up to this cabin for a large family Christmas reunion. This year though, without his mother's presence, it was going to be hard. Jack didn't often talk about his family, but Daniel knew better than anyone how much strain there was between Jack and his father - his namesake, Jonathan 'Jon' O'Neill.

All his life Jack had felt like he failed his father, though he never knew why. When he married Sara and started his family he seemed to gain some points with the elder O'Neill, however that was short lived. After Charlie's death - the grandchild that Jon doted on - things between them returned to their old tense ways. That was why Jack really needed someone, anyone, to come this weekend. To be a kind of buffer, to give him somewhere to go when things got too tough. It was no surprise to him though that he didn't mind that Sam and Teal'c pulled out, so long as Daniel still promised to come. It meant so much for him to have his friend with him - especially at Christmas, and especially at this first Christmas without his beloved mother, for whom Christmas always seemed so very important.

Jack took a moment to wonder, as he watched the handsome man beside him snuffle in his sleep, what his mother would have thought of him bringing a 'man' home for Christmas. He figured she'd have just eyed him knowingly, accepted Daniel with open arms and sneaked approving glances at them every time they stood too near together. At least, that was how she was when he brought Greg to many family functions. She was the only one that knew about him - about 'them' - and she let Jack know that it was all right by her. She just wanted him loved, that's all.

Maybe - Jack thought as he cast his eyes over the sweet, sleeping face beside him - if she were here this year he could find the courage to tell Daniel just how he felt about him. But without her here, and with his father as strict and homophobic as he was, he knew that this weekend he and Daniel had to be very careful of how close they stood, even if there was really nothing between them.

"Hey," he said in a low voice as he gripped Daniel's shoulder and shook him gently.

The younger man startled awake then looked around, confused about his surroundings. In the darkness he could see what appeared to be a sizable building with a light burning in one window. He turned his face back to the man who was still slightly across him. "We're here?" He sat up, adjusting his glasses.

Jack nodded with a smile. "Yeah. See, told you I'd get us here and it only took..oh.. fifty minutes..."

Daniel rubbed his eyes as he sat up. "Fifty minutes? I was asleep that long?"

"No, you fell asleep about forty minutes ago," he said, reaching into the back and dragging Daniel's bag forward. "Jesus! What do you have in here? Rocks?"

Daniel gathered the bag onto his lap then rolled his eyes. "Books, actually. And some snow boots and a few.."

Holding his hand up, Jack laughed. "It's okay. Let's not take inventory here!"

Daniel shrugged and tugged the door release, opening the door. Jack jumped out and slung his bag over his shoulder before coming around to head up the path alongside his friend.

As the reached the bottom of the three steps that led to the porch Jack stopped Daniel, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Look, I'm just going to apologize in advance for my father, okay?"

Daniel arched his brow. "Oh? Um, okay.." He said, deliberately slowly.

Jack sighed then shrugged. "He can be a little bit obnoxious, that's all."

"Oh? Really? Family trait there?" Daniel teased him. Jack glared at him as they trotted up the steps.

"Remind me, why did I ask you along?"

"Because Sam and Teal'c pulled out," Daniel retorted quickly with a nod.

Jack raised his hand and was about to open the door as he said, "Oh, yeah, it's all coming back to me now!" Suddenly the door flew open and a pretty woman, a few years younger than Jack, stood in the warm yellow glow and smiled at them broadly.

"Jack! Thank god you made it safely!" She flung herself into Jack's arms while carefully holding her cup of eggnog in her hands and not spilling a drop down the back of Jack's sweater.

"Susan!" He hugged the woman, not too affectionately Daniel noted, then he pulled back.

"Let me help you with this," she said, taking the bag from him before he could protest. Jack rolled his eyes at her as she struggled to carry the bag into the house. With a sweep of his hand he invited Daniel to go ahead, then they entered the house together.

Daniel felt a little overwhelmed, as people seemed to come from everywhere to greet them as they stood, in a puddle of melted snow, just inside the front door. Young girls, teenagers from what he could tell, threw themselves at Jack and hugged him. Two men came up and shook his hand, one was unmistakably Jack's brother, whom Daniel knew to be named Claude. After the initial excitement died down Jack could finally introduce them to Daniel.

Daniel soon learned that the woman that greeted them at the door was Jack's sister, Susan. She was pretty much like him, only more feminine. She had the same eyes as her brother. In fact, Daniel noted that they all seemed to have the same dark attractive eyes. Susan was married to Bill, a rugged-looking man with a large stomach and wide shoulders. He was, by all accounts, a rigger by trade and worked in the next town. They had two children; Amy, aged eight, and David, who was ten. Next Daniel was introduced to Claude, Jack's older brother. Claude's wife was no longer with him, but he had his two boys; Peter, fifteen and Julian, seventeen, with him this Christmas. There was still one person missing.

"Where's Dad?"

Susan shot Claude a quick glance then the brother jerked his thumb towards the glass doors that divided off the living area of the house to a private study. This was one of the recent renovations Jon had made to the cabin. Initially it was nothing more than a three-room place; a kitchen, a living area including somewhere to eat, and the sleeping area. Jack had already told Daniel to pack something decent to sleep in as they all had to share the one room, known as the bunkhouse. It was a large room full of bunk beds allowing enough sleeping spaces for fourteen people.

The cabin had remained that way for many years, built five generations ago out of logs. It was a warm and rustic homestead, furnished well to keep any visitors comfortable throughout their stay. It served generations of O'Neill's well as a holiday house, but over the past year - since Jon's well-overdued retirement - he and Maude had come up to the cabin often while he made some additions and some renovations. Now the cabin sported a fine sunroom, just off to the left and down three steps from the living area. Off to the right of the same area was the newly built study, splendid behind two French doors of glass. From there, going up four steps, was the new master bedroom, complete with its own bathroom and spectacular view of the boathouse and river. As it had always been, the bunkroom was off to the right of the living area while the kitchen ran along the entire width of the back of the cabin and a new bathroom was to the left of that. Of all the renovations, Jack appreciated that one the most! Bathing in an old wooden tub in front of the fireplace might be okay if you were alone or holidaying with someone you loved, but in a house full of family members, it was to be avoided at all costs!

Jack now looked at the closed glass doors then tuned to Daniel beside him.

"Come on, I'll show you where you can drop your bag."

Daniel nodded, not voicing his curiosity as to why the father hadn't come out despite the commotion. Instead, he followed Jack through the living room, already ascertaining it to be the heart of the cabin. It was warm, with the log walls and, due to the season, it was elaborately decorated in deep burgundy and evergreen with a large ornate Christmas tree in the corner near the sunroom door. In front of the roaring fire Amy and David had returned to their game of monopoly while Bill had returned to his chair near the hearth.

Daniel noted with some degree of relief that the warmth from the other room carried over into the bunkhouse. He watched as Jack looked beneath the bunks and realized he was checking for bags or some kind of indication of 'ownership'.

The last two beds, one on either side of the room, were apparently left for them. Daniel was pleased that the teenagers seemed to opt for the top bunks - he didn't much enjoy sleeping on the top bunk, and his idea of sleeping on top of Jack was a little different than that.

"Here we are," Jack said, pointing out the opposite bed to his friend. Daniel tossed his bag onto the gray blanket then sat down. The coils creaked loudly as he bounced up and down on the bed and Jack shot him a sideways glance as he began to unpack presents from his bag. "You're not planning on making that noise all night, are you?"

Daniel sliced a droll look his way then kicked his feet onto the mattress as he laid himself down onto the bed, tucking his hands behind his head.

"Jack," came a rusty sounding voice from the doorway. Jack swiveled on the spot immediately while Daniel sat bolt upright and stared at the figure in the doorway.

"Dad," Jack said, and then threw a quick glance at Daniel, who got to his feet straightaway. As the two men approached the straight-backed man Daniel couldn't help but notice all the incredible similarities between him and Jack. He realized he'd seen this man before; only it was on Argos - when Jack was affected with the aging device. It was amazing how much Jack would look like this man in about thirty years time. Jon deliberately turned his gaze onto Daniel now and he seemed to scrutinize the young man thoroughly.

"I'm Jon O'Neill," he said, holding his hand out towards Daniel.

Jack sighed and shifted his footing while waving his hand between the two men. He lowered his face and mumbled, "Daniel Jackson - my father, Jonathan O'Neill.."

Jon's dark eyes shifted to take in his son then the same wry grin that Jack was predisposed to tweaked at the corner of the older man's mouth. "Just told him that, Jack."

Jack huffed and lowered his face as he scratched at his eyebrow. Daniel, mouth agape slightly, finally gripped Jon's hand and shook it firmly.

"Pleasure to meet you, sir," he said.

"I bet Jack's told you nothing about me," Jon said, with familiar cynical humor. It was on the tip of Daniel's tongue to beat the old man at his own game and say 'in fact he's told me a lot, none of it good!' but he knew better than to insult the host. Besides, there was something very intimidating about Jack's father.

"He keeps stuff pretty much to himself," Daniel ventured instead, with an affirming nod. Jon snorted, again casting a sideways glance at his younger son.

"I bet."

Jack sighed uncomfortably once more then held his own hand out and said, "Nice to see you again, Dad. Merry Christmas.."

Jon stared at the hand on offer then clapped his into it and shook it roughly. "Merry Christmas, Jack. How was the flight?"

The two men turned now and headed out of the bunkroom, talking amiably, leaving Daniel feeling a little shell shocked in their wake. He followed them out and through to the kitchen where Jon proceeded to pour drinks for all three of them. Then he clapped his arm across the back of Jack's shoulders and led him into the living room, where they sat side by side on the sofa. Daniel loitered by the kitchen door, suddenly wondering if coming with Jack was such a good idea. He carefully sipped at the warm drink while he watched the family before him.

"Dad's a bit scary when you first meet him," Susan whispered, making Daniel jump slightly.

His blue eyes went wide as he titled his head. "Oh, he's.. he's..."

"Scary," she said with a mild laugh. Daniel shrugged then looked down at his drink.

"Believe me, I've met worse!"

"Heaven Forbid, is that possible?" She laughed heartily now and Jack turned towards the sound, surprised to see that it was Daniel she was laughing with. True to form, though, Daniel looked quite bashful as he stood with his face lowered and his drink cupped in both hands.

"How long have you known this Daniel?" Jon asked his son when Jack's attention had been stolen from their conversation.

"Huh?" Jack looked back at his father.

Jon pointed his finger and asked again, "How long have you known this Daniel? Susan tells me he's a work colleague?"

"Yeah," Jack said, arching his brow slightly as he looked down into his drink. "We've worked together about four years now," he said, and then took a long sip of his drink.

"He looks a little geeky, if you ask me," Jon sniffed, making Jack's skin crawl.

"He's a good man. Nothing geeky about him!" He said than added, "He's intelligent and strong - both traits I've needed and relied upon haul my ass out some pretty hairy situations lately."

Holding his hands up in defense, Jon said, "Only commented that he looked geeky!"

Jack sighed and shook his head before draining his cup of its warm, spicy liquid. "With you, Dad, that's usually enough," he murmured.

"Don't judge me, Son," Jon said under his breath but Jack merely screwed his eyes shut before shaking his head again. "And stop shaking your damn head at me!"

"Well, you're not going to treat Daniel like you treated my other friends that you decided were geeks, okay? This time, " he said, standing up and looking down at his father, "I won't let you do that." He went over to where Susan and Daniel were engaged in friendly conversation.

"Jack-" Her dark eyes shone with her laughter. "You didn't tell me Daniel was an archaeologist!"

"Didn't I?" Jack said then shrugged, "Probably slipped my mind."

Daniel turned to him and asked, through his smile, "that I'm an archaeologist?"

"No-" Susan patted his arm then told him, "That I'm a budding archaeologist myself."

"Oh!" Daniel said with a nod then fixed his eyes onto Jack. The older man just raised his brow as he flapped his mouth without saying anything then he pushed between them and went into the kitchen. Daniel held his cup up and excused himself, following his friend into the kitchen and allowed the door to swing shut behind him.

He went to over to Jack, who was leaning on the counter with outstretched arm with his head bowed, and asked him, "You okay?"

"Yeah," Jack sighed then looked up. "Listen, if my father gives you a hard time over the next few days you have my permission to bite back at him."

Daniel frowned. "Why?"

"Because he's an ass."

"No, I mean," Daniel waved his hand then tilted his head and said, "what makes you think he's going to give me a hard time? Did I do something to offend him already?"

Jack looked up into the blue eyes, such earnest eyes, then he patted his friend's shoulder. "You've done nothing wrong, Danny, believe me. It's him!"

"But I can't be rude to him, Jack. He's my host and more importantly, he's your father.."

Jack sighed and bit his bottom lip a moment. Looking at Daniel he said, "Trust me on this, okay? Because his my father I can tell you, in all honesty, that if he offends you in any way, I need you to bite back at him.."

"I can't.." Daniel shook his head.

"Yes, you can! You've been hanging around me way too long not to know some pretty good repartee now.."

Daniel quirked his brow but said nothing. Soon the door opened and Claude entered the kitchen.

"Jack, I need your help in the cutting shed."

"Okay," Jack said, holding Daniel's perplexed gaze. "I'm going to go and cut some more firewood. You can either come with or stay, it's up to you."

"Well considering my options," the anthropologist said as he shrugged. Jack nodded.

"Go get your snow boots then and I'll wait for you."

As he passed through the living room Daniel couldn't help but throw a sidelong glance at Jon, sitting in the center of the sofa, staring at the fire. Just as he reached to door of the bunkhouse, Jon asked, "Where's everyone going? Is there a party in the kitchen I don't know about?"

Daniel wasn't sure if the elder O'Neill was asking him the question, or the room in general but when no one else bothered to answer him, he offered, "We're going to cut more firewood."

Slowly Jon turned to look behind him to where Daniel was standing. "'You're' cutting more firewood?"

Daniel wasn't sure where the older man's surprise came from, but the conversation he'd had with Jack left him in no doubt that Jon didn't think much of him. With a shrug, Daniel said defensively, "I've cut wood before..."

"Oh!" Was all Jon said as he turned back around to face the fire. A bubble of anger started in the pit of Daniel's stomach as he went to his bag to extract his snow boots. What the hell had he done to deserve being treated so rudely? He decided that he'd spent worse Christmas' but that this one would probably go up there as a 'never to be repeated' one for next time. Next time Jack needed his friends around him at this time, he'd better hope Sam or Teal'c were available. His thoughts faltered. If Sam had had come up with Jack none of this would have happened anyway. As he reentered the living room, Daniel was lost in thought about how different it would have been for Jack and Sam. Probably romantic....

"Don't like the thought that you're cutting our wood," Jon said, breaking through Daniel's thoughts. So agitated was he now - from travel fatigue, from the unpleasantness between him and Jon, from the taunting images of Jack and Sam in blissful happiness as they created snow angels outside - that Daniel didn't think first before snarling, "oh, please! I'm capable of cutting wood! I'm not some pathetic ..." He stopped himself suddenly as Jon rose to his feet. "Sorry, I'm.." He muttered, lowering his face as he touched his fingers to the tip of his nose.

"I'm sorry too, son," Jon said, then stepped around the sofa to where Daniel was standing, snow boots in his hands. "I merely meant I didn't like the idea of a guest of mine cutting wood. Make sure Jack does his share."

Daniel was about to snap back at what appeared to be an 'anti-Jack' comment when he looked up and saw the twinkle in Jon's eyes. Tilting his head slightly he mumbled, "Okay.." Jon's smile broadened as he winked and reached out to pat his shoulder.

*

Daniel didn't discuss the unusual encounter with Jack but he heeded the words. He sat back, watching and listening to the two brothers as they split the wood and relived Christmas' past with each other. It wasn't too long before Claude dismissed himself, saying he needed to use the bathroom. Jack, who was now stripped down to his long sleeved undershirt, wiped his forearm across his brow as he panted, "that's the last we see of him!" He lifted his axe and slammed it down into the next stump of wood.

Daniel got up and picked up the abandoned axe. Jack eyed him cautiously then said, as he raised his axe once more, "you have done this before, haven't you, Danny?" The axe came down with a mighty blow.

"Yes," Daniel muttered as he tightened his grip on the wooden handle. He gritted his teeth and lifted the axe head high, slamming it down and splitting the first log effortlessly. Jack quirked a brow, impressed by the strength in his friend. Soon they were cutting log for log until it became almost a competition to see who could hit the fastest and the hardest.

"OW!" Daniel yelled, tossing down his axe as he gripped his hand furiously. "Holy.. shit!" He moaned softly, grimacing with pain. Jack, who had dropped his axe on the first syllable, raced to his friend's side to see what was wrong. He uncurled Daniel's hand slowly and saw a number of small splinters had embedded themselves in the soft skin between his thumb and forefinger.

"Ouch!" He said screwing up his nose at the mess. He quickly put Daniel's hand to his mouth and sucked out most of the smaller, less embedded, splinters before spitting them out.

"Jack?" Daniel asked, as he squirmed with the unusual pain of having splinters sucked from his tender skin.

"Didn't your mom ever to do this?" Jack asked, again spitting the stray splinter from his mouth.

"No," Daniel said flatly then looked down at his reddened hand. There was still one stubborn dark line beneath the inflamed skin.

"Might need to get a needle onto that one," Jack said, lifting his hand to scrape out the elusive splinter that he couldn't spit from his mouth. Finally he had success and wiped his hand onto his pant leg.

"Needle? Great.." Daniel said as he inspected the sore hand.

"I'm sure Susan will know what to do," Jack said. Daniel looked at him.

"Actually, Jack, I know what to do. Being an archaeologist, we 'sometimes' get splinters.."

Jack didn't seem to pick up the sarcasm in his friend's voice as he returned to his axe and said, "oh, good. Well, I'm sure you'll find something up at the house!"

Daniel nodded and headed up to the main house while Jack watched him go, all too aware that he might have been a tad enthusiastic about getting to suck on any part of Daniel's body.

Inside the cabin Daniel located Susan and was soon shown the sewing box. The young woman heated a needle over the flame before stepping over and taking Daniel's sore hand in hers.

"Really," Daniel protested, "I can do this myself!"

"Nonsense," she said, "I'll do it. I'm forever digging splinters from Bill's ass..." She laughed at her own joke but Daniel still reached up and wrestled the needle from her.

"I appreciate that," He said, then wet his lips as he said, "but I really do prefer to do this kind of thing myself. When you're an archaeologist, you learn to fend for yourself.."

"Yes, but when you're a mother, you tend to mother everyone-" She laughed.

"Oh, for pity's sake, leave the damn boy alone!" Jon snarled as he entered the kitchen. For once, Daniel appreciated his intrusion.

"Dad, we're only having a bit of fun!"

"Well, seems to me the man is capable of yanking a splinter out of his own damn hand, so let him! Stop fussing over him!"

Susan blushed then lowered her face before turning to leave the kitchen. Daniel was glad that he was allowed to tend to himself, even if the method of obtaining the freedom was too high a price.

"Thank you," Daniel said, albeit a little begrudgingly. Jon nodded as he poured more coffee into his cup.

"What happened?"

"Splinter.." Daniel said holding up his hand. Jon looked from the red hand to the face behind it.

"So I gather. I meant, how did it happen?"

"Oh," Daniel said with a soft laugh at himself. "The axe handle was a little rough."

"Jack should have been cutting the wood..."

"Actually," Daniel flared quickly then pulled himself into line by biting his lips together. Jon quirked his brow in the same way Jack had when silently questioning someone. The younger man sighed then said, "Jack was splitting logs, with the other axe. It was Claude's axe I was using."

"Claude's in the living room..."

"Yes. He said he needed to go to the bathroom," Daniel explained. Jon frowned.

"So he left you two to it then?"

"Really, it didn't bother either of us. Jack and I are used to hard work, actually.."

Jon looked over the slightly red face, and saw the agitation in Daniel's eyes. "You work well together as a team, is that what you're telling me, son?"

With a slight raise of his brow, Daniel gave that some thought. With a nod, he said, "Yes, sir. I believe we do."

Slowly a smile crept across the older man's face. "I bet you do," he said, and again Daniel got a strange feeling from his words. Susan came into the kitchen with her snow boots in her hands.

"Where are you going?" Jon asked her as she passed behind him.

"Going to keep Jack company," she said.

"Oh, I'll be out there again soon," Daniel told her.

"No, son. I think you should stay in here, help me get the evening supper ready. Susan can keep her brother company," Jon said, looking at his daughter. She nodded and then went outside. Daniel felt a slight nervousness bubble within his stomach as the older O'Neill turned to face him once more.

"Come on," Jon said, patting his shoulder. "Let's get to work. But first-" He fished though the first aid kit, found a plaster and put it on Daniel's hand for him with all the care of a father to his son. "That's better!" He said, with a warm smile. Daniel frowned then smiled as he nodded.

"Thanks, sir."

"Please-" Jon held his hand up and sighed. "Call me Jon."

Daniel had heard the exact inflections in Jack's voice as he told people to call him Jack. The familiarity and the difference were intriguing the anthropologist. Obviously the O'Neill gene pool was a very strong one, with each of the children resembling their father so much he wondered what influence the mother hand in their genetic makeup.

Jon passed him the silverware and Daniel said to him, "I was very sorry to hear about your wife's passing..."

Jon stopped a moment then he took a long look at Daniel. Finally he said, "Thanks, son. It's not easy losing someone you've loved for so many years..."

Daniel nodded mutely as he jostled the cutlery in his hands. Jon's dark eyes lifted to the ceiling and Daniel clearly saw tears along the lashes. "She loved Christmas..."

Daniel bit his bottom lip then felt a certain relief when the older man lowered his face and swiped his hand cross his eyes. "But enough sadness. She did love Christmas and that's why this one has got to be very important - for all of us." He leaned in closer to Daniel and the young man wondered if he was meant to garner more from the sentence than what Jon actually said. The next words out of the patriarch's mouth floored Daniel. "I know that it's not easy for people like you. People like me make things so damn hard, but it's only because we're ignorant."

"S..Sorry?" Daniel frowned and tilted his head.

Jon went on. "I'm not surprised that Jack and Maude kept it a secret between themselves. I'm not the most approachable person, Daniel, but where Jack's concerned I'll try to make more of an effort. Though it is hard altering a life time of thoughts and feelings, but.. well.. if my son is gay, he's gay and there's not a damn thing I can do about it." Suddenly his head shot up as he said, "not that I *would * you understand. You seem very nice and..."

Through his bewilderment Daniel managed to hold his hand up, silencing Jon. "Hold on!" He stammered. "You think that Jack and I.. are.. together?"

"It's alright, son. Maude explained it all to me a month before she passed on. I'll be frank with you, I wasn't happy at first, but she soon made me see that Jack was still 'my' Jack.. my boy..."

Daniel rubbed his hand across his mouth as he sighed. Jon smiled.

"Kinda floored ya, huh? I bet Jack warned you about me, probably told you to be careful of how close you stood or how you approached me, but really, it's okay. I'm not about to win Father of the Year award so please - keep it to yourselves and no, you know, touchy feely around me, for Christ's sake! But, well you seem like a nice man, an intelligent man..."

"I'm glad you approve," Daniel mumbled numbly. Jon laughed.

"Well, you're no long haired geek, so that's a plus! Jack's last partner, from what I was told, was his room mate.." He paused at the connotations that word now brought to him. Shaking himself he went on, "he was a long haired geek. I thought he was just Jack's best friend, you know, how was I meant to know!" He shrugged. "But from what Maude told me, Jack and this kid, I forget his name..." He stopped, his words trailing off as he looked at the pale face opposite him.

"Son?"

Daniel blinked then Jon slapped his own forehead. "Oh god, don't tell me I've let a cat out of the bag..."

Daniel blinked then lifted his eyes to Jon's face. "Huh?"

"You did know about Jack and this other guy?.."

"Actually,. No.." Daniel stammered.

"Oh geez!" Jon growled at himself then shook his head. "I'm stupid! You men probably don't talk about past lovers anymore than we do.."

/'We' do/ The words rang through Daniel's head.

"Um," Daniel said, frowning as he looked across at Jon. Jutting his thumb over his shoulder he muttered, "Do you mind if I.."

Jon cringed as he shrugged. "Sure. Hope I didn't cause trouble between you.."

Daniel shook his head. "No, Jon, that's fine. I just need to .. you know.."

Nodding, the older man flicked his hand towards the door as he said, "Go!"

Daniel turned and left the cabin, hopping across the snowy ground as he tugged his snow boots back on.

End of part 2

* * *


	3. The Christmas Gift Chapter three

**The Christmas Gift** - **Part 3**

Daniel entered the wood shed and smiled politely as Susan. She looked from him to Jack then wrapped her coat around herself more tightly against the evening breeze. The anthropologist looked at his friend. Jack, sweating with exertion, had tugged his long sleeves of his undershirt up his arms and his forearms glistened with perspiration. He smiled as he reached down for some wood then settled it on he chopping block.

"Get the splinter out?"

Daniel frowned then held up the bandaged hand. Jack smiled, nodded then went back to chopping wood. "Come to help me again?" He asked with a chuckle as he lifted the axe over his head and slammed it into the wood, splitting it easily. Daniel tilted his head at the sheer exertion that required then smiled as he wet his lips.

"No."

Susan laughed then wrapped her heavy coat around herself again.

"Actually," Daniel said, his teeth gritted in an awkward smile as his eyes flitted from Susan to Jack. "I came to talk .. to you..."

The pretty woman looked at her brother then nodded. "I'll head back inside," she said, smiling as she passed Daniel. The young man folded his arms across his body as he twisted to watch her go then he swung around and met Jack's inquisitive gaze head on.

"I'm all yours.." Jack said, holding his arms wide as he shrugged.

Daniel smiled slightly then bowed his head, bringing his thumb up to press against his lips.

"Apparently so.." He muttered, lifting his face and looking at his friend through slightly squinted eyes.

The older man's brow furrowed deeply. "Huh?"

Daniel perched himself against a stack of old tires as he laced his fingers together and dropped them into his lap. Jack watched him closely then dropped the spilt wood off the block before settling himself onto it. Their feet almost met in the middle of the room as Jack waited, hand resting on the handle of the axe, for Daniel to talk.

The younger man finally raised his chin; a pensive expression filled his face. "Jack, why didn't you ever tell me you're .. ah.. gay?"

Jack, who'd been digging the tip of the axe into a small block of wood beside his legs, stumbled at the frank question, dropping the axe as he struggled to straighten himself up. He snapped his head up and stared into the unblinking blue eyes. Daniel gave him a slight smile before dipping his face once more, then frowned as he stared at his feet. "I've just had the most interesting conversation with your father," he told him.

"My..?" Jack's head tilted then his eyes flashed as he said, "Daniel??"

Sucking in a long, deep breath, Daniel looked around the shed avoiding Jack's eyes as he went on to explain, "He thinks we're together.."

Jack stood abruptly, pushing his hand through his short gray hair. He paced, one hand on his hip as he allowed the other hand to scrub down his face before dropping to slap against his leg. He swung around quickly, his eyes full of questions, all of which Daniel seemed to know the answers to.

"Apparently your mother told him. Just before she died.."

Jack's mouth parted further as he inhaled a quick, deep breath. He frowned then looked back at Daniel, again saying nothing but getting the answer he needed; "He was actually quite nice to me," then he added as he dropped his face and looked at his shoes once more, "no wonder he keeps calling me son.."

Jack gave a sharp cough then muttered, "he calls everyone son..."

"Except.." Daniel said, rising to his feet and going closer to his friend. "You."

Jack's mouth was still agape as he thought about that. With a quick jerk he turned his head to focus on the man beside him. "God, Danny.." he said on a soft, breathless sigh. "I'm sorry.."

The golden brows matted together. "For what, Jack?"

"For ... for the mistake.."

Daniel bit his bottom lip between his teeth as he slowly tilted his head until it almost touched his shoulder. "Your father's .. or yours?"

Jack frowned too.

Daniel straightened up and smiled nervously through clenched teeth once more. "You should have told me.."

Shaking his head, Jack said, "no, I shouldn't have. It's the last thing I needed.. to..."

"Why?"

The door scraped open and Julian came stamping in from the snow outside. He looked between the two men, almost standing toe-to-toe in the middle of the room. A blush crept across the freckled face.

"Sorry. Supper's ready, Uncle Jack.."

Jack peered around Daniel to see the youth. He gave a sharp nod and the boy turned and left them alone again. Daniel, who'd twisted to look at Julian as well, turned slowly back to Jack.

"Best not keep my father waiting," Jack said, avoiding his friend's look as he bent over to collect up some wood. Daniel was about to protest when Jack shoved some the small split logs against his chest. Instinctually his arms came up to cradle the small pile and the two men headed back towards the house, neither saying another word.

*

Inside the warm cabin the family sat to enjoy their Christmas Eve meal - leaving two seats side by side at the end of the table. Jack looked over his shoulder at Daniel, who returned the look, as the two of them went over to the fireplace and dropped their wood onto the stack. Dusting his hands together Jack went into to the kitchen to wash his face and hands while Daniel merely wiped his hands on his pant legs before going over to the table and stepping over the long bench to sit down. He was aware of Jon's eyes upon him but he kept his eyes diverted. Finally Jack re-entered the room and moved up to the back of the bench. He tugged the sleeves of his undershirt up a little higher on his forearms then he stepped over the bench and eased himself between Julian and Daniel.

Jon rose to his feet slowly, a smile shone in his brown eyes. Daniel shifted his eyes from the patriarch to the bowed face beside him, seeing the tension beneath the surface. He shifted his hand slightly and laid it over Jack's thigh. The brown eyes shifted onto him inquisitively and Daniel, without meeting the gaze, squeezed the thigh before placing his hand back into his own lap. Jack frowned then turned to look at his father who was still delivering the prayer of Thanks.

Throughout the dinner Jack and Daniel avoided meeting each other's eye but they talked amiably, either focusing on their food when conversing or dipping their heads to listen more closely to the other over the jovial din. There was only the one clichéd moment, when they both went for the salt and their hands collided. Their eyes met briefly then but Daniel smiled and diverted his gaze as he returned to his dinner, leaving the salt to his friend. Jack handed it to him when he was done but they didn't look at each other at the time. Daniel was talking with Susan about her infatuation with the Aztecs and his attention was totally on her.

By the time the meal was over no one seemed able to move. Everyone groaned as they pried themselves from the hard benches and headed into the living room. The sofa was unquestionably reserved for the adults while the younger members of the family took up their places on the floor in front of the hearth or on scattered beanbags. As Jack eased himself into one of the armchairs he looked over at Julian, lanky limbs sprawled across a beanbag, and he recalled when that was him.

Daniel moved to the opposite end of the room and settled himself on the end of the sofa next to Susan. Their earlier conversation still hadn't run its course and he settled himself beside her willingly. Jack watched his friend closely, dressed in a brown, hand-knitted sweater, his legs cased in blue denim, and wedged between the arm of the sofa and Susan. He wondered what it was that he could have found to talk to her about with such intensity - probably archaeology, he decided. His mouth curled into a slight smile as he watched Daniel absently scratch his head, ruffling up the short dark blond hair until it stood up on end. The smile faltered when he saw Susan hesitate then reach up and settle the hair on Daniel's head, and more importantly, he watched the blue eyes as they looked up towards the hand then lowered and focused on her, his face glowing with a gentle smile. Jack felt a nudge on his arm and he snapped his head around to see Claude beside him.

"Coffee, Jack?"

"Oh.. ugh, yeah.." Jack said. "Just as nature intended it."

Claude nodded, muttering, "black, no sugar," as he moved off to the next person while Jack returned his attention to the two on the sofa again. He was still watching Daniel by the time Claude reached him. Daniel's face tilted up, his Adam's apple predominant in profile. He gave a wisp of a smile as his lips moved while he told Claude, "just as nature intended it.." Jack looked down instantly, realizing that he'd, unwittingly, used one of Daniel's colloquialisms. When he looked up again, he stared right into Daniel's eyes as they gazed down at him from the other end of the room.

*

After another hour had passed the room started to empty. Bill and Claude had taken themselves to bed a while ago and the teenagers moved their conversation into the sunroom, where they could play their music without disturbing the others too much. Jack watched Daniel and Susan - still intently talking and laughing in soft, muted voices - until his eyes lulled closed, but a noise soon snapped him to full awareness again. The door to the den had scraped slightly as Jon opened it, and Jack saw the perfect opportunity to talk to him alone. He rubbed his eyes before getting to his feet then he reached down and put his coffee cup on the table, aware that Daniel hadn't even looked his way - not once - and probably wouldn't ever again now that he knew the truth about his 'best friend'.

The door scraped again as Jack opened it, and the noise alerted Jon to the visitor. The older man was standing by his shelves, scanning the spines of his books for something to read. He didn't need to turn to know who it was.

"Jack?"

Jack stood on the other side of his father's wide desk, biting his bottom lip like he was a twelve year old again and awaiting punishment.

"Do you have something to say?" Jonathan's voice was soft, but Jack sensed more than a hint of mockery in the tone. He decided to let the old man stew a bit. Leave him to wait, and wait, knowing that soon, as soon as he realized Jack wasn't going to comment to the back of his head, he'd turn around to look at him. He didn't have long to wait.

Blowing out a loud breath, he slipped his hands into the front pockets of his jeans and lifted his chin to meet his father's eyes once the older O'Neill finally faced him. "Daniel came to see me.."

Jon didn't say a word. He didn't need to! He cocked his brow very slightly and Jack felt himself quiver slightly despite his resolve. Why, after all these years, could this man still intimidate him so much?

With a soft, throat-clearing cough, Jack bowed his head a moment to try to rid himself of the image of a shorts-wearing twelve year old being hauled before his father for sling-shooting a stone through the living room window.

"You... uhm..." He started to speak before he raised his face. When he did look up, and he saw the slightly cocky expression in his father's eyes, his resolve grew once more and he jutted his chin defiantly as he said, "You have got things oh-so-wrong between us.."

The older man's eyes crinkled a little more but he said nothing. Under the silent scrutiny, Jack felt like that twelve year old again - feeling his bravado slip away every second they stood there, staring at each other. He recognized the look in his father's eyes though - it was a squint he himself used when he was trying to intimidate someone, usually a subordinate. Jack finally knew what it might have felt like to be on the other side of that glare, though he doubted he could put the same pressure on someone else nearly as well as his father could intimidate him.

Straightening his back, Jon finally said, "You don't need to hide it.."

Jack's hand shot out from his pocket as he sliced the air, needing to stop his father from saying anything further. "No... I'm not hiding.. anything.." The look in his eyes should have convinced Jon, but it didn't.

"Your mother told me a few weeks before she died," Jon confessed and waited out the loud growl from his son before continuing, "about the 'true' nature of your friendship with your best friend in high school... what was his name?"

Jack slowly scrubbed a hand down his face. "Greg.." He responded as he dropped his hand from his chin then sighed loudly before glancing at the darker eyes. He was surprised to see understanding, not reprimand, within them and this confused him.

Jon's face seemed to take on a softer edge as he spoke about his dead wife. "Your mother, God rest her soul, took me to task over this matter, I must tell you!" Then with a slightly chuckle as he shook his head, at what seemed to Jack to be a memory he cherished to himself, he said, "I was fit to be tied...." Then he blinked before meeting Jack's astounded gaze and adding, "son.."

Jack's mouth dropped open slightly as he stood in that tiny, wood clad den, amongst generations of books and family trinkets and treasures. He never in his life felt as small as he did at that moment.

"Dad.. I..."

Jon held his hand up to stop him from commenting and Jack couldn't help but notice the way it trembled. This was obviously hard for the older man, but he was being as gentle with Jack as he could be.

"Finding out that my strapping young boy was... well... he was not what I thought he was-" He tilted his head and gave a morose shrug, "it was not easy to take. Your mother didn't talk to me for a whole day while I ranted about it. Yelling at her for not telling me sooner. Yelling at you for letting me down.." The weary brown eyes watched the gray head bow just that little bit lower. He coughed softly before saying, "But she was right. Maude was always right. It just took me some time to realize it, son. It's good that you weren't around at the time. It's good that it was her that told me. Let's face it, Jack, no one could ever show me reason quite like your mother could!"

On that comment Jack lifted his face slightly and nodded, but he didn't meet his father's eyes. "You want to know what it was that made me see reason?"

He waited to see Jack nod then continued, "First she told me that if I didn't she'd come back to haunt me. I told her that that wasn't much of a threat as I would like her to do that....." He smiled at his own joke then said, "but she was one hell of a woman, your mother. And she told me the truth - Always! And that's the secret to a long marriage, my boy!" He wagged his finger at Jack then said, "And she told me that I should cherish my family for 'who' they are - not who they did!"

Jack's breath stalled at that comment and he lowered his face; hiding the slight smile he had for his feisty mother. Jon, too, seemed to recall that conversation with some glee in his voice. "She was every bit a Irish red-head, wasn't she!"

Jack lifted his gaze and saw the twinkle in his father's eyes. With a wordless nod, he agreed with him. Jon hooted gently as he nodded as well. "She certainly was!" He reiterated then lowered his chin to his chest. Jack rolled his head back slightly as he gnawed on his bottom lip.

"She pulled out all the stops, you know! Had me drag out all the family albums from when you were just so high.." He held his hand down by his knee then smiled, "Then she kept asking me, as she pointed to pictures of you, 'when did I stop loving you?' and 'when did you stop being my boy?'" With a chuckle once more, this time filled with sadness, Jon sat in his large leather chair and said, "And I had to say to her... Never."

Jack sniffed as he diverted his eyes.

In a shaky voice Jon went on, "You're my boy, Jacky. The fact that you love that young man out there makes you no less of a man - in my eyes today."

After swallowing Jack nodded then finally shifted his misty gaze onto his father's. Taking a moment to gather his thoughts, he said in a husky voice, "But you're wrong about Daniel. He is just my best friend."

Jon lifted his hand, palms up, and shrugged. "If you say so."

"Dad, please!" Jack pleaded quietly as his hands fisted by his thighs.

"I've just told you there's nothing to be ashamed of.."

Shaking his head in disbelief, Jack sighed. "You don't believe me, do you? For all your talk about loving me and that... crap.." Jack's hand again fisted, by his temple then he spread the fingers wide as he pushed his hand from his face and said, "You still don't 'listen' to me."

"Jacky, for Christ's sake.."

Jack cringed at the name and suddenly regretted every time he'd called his friend 'Danny'. He sighed despondently. Why should his father start believing in him now, after forty-five years?

"Jack, I just want you to be happy."

"What? So now I'm going to disappoint you because I'm NOT in a relationship with Daniel, is that it?"

"No!" Jon yelled and slammed his fists into the tabletop. Shaking visibly he collected his thoughts before looking up at Jack. "I know I was a shit of a father to you, son. You don't have to tell me. I was never there when you needed me. And I always told you what I thought you needed to know, not what you wanted to know or what you asked me about. I just told you what 'I' thought you should know!" His voice began to tremble as he told him, "But you have to believe me now. I see..." He pointed to his eye then out to the room, towards where Daniel was sitting. "I see it in your eyes when you look at him. It's the same look your mother used to give to me..."

Shaking his head, Jack put one hand on his hip and looked down at the floor. He heard a muffled sound and looked up and was horrified to see his father sitting there, tears streaming out of his eyes and down his screwed up face. "Oh, god, Jack.." He sobbed loudly then buried his face in his folded arms.

"Dad?" Jack rounded the desk and hesitated a moment before putting his hand on his father's back.

"I miss her so much... So much.." The sobbing man cried, pounding a fist lightly against the leather desk set. Jack bit his lips together as he tried to find a way to deal with this. Part of him instantly wanted to ask Daniel to help - this was right up the anthropologist's ally, but he also knew that this was a moment that only he and his father could share. He felt out of his league here. This was not like his father, who was always ramrod straight and rarely showed his emotions, let alone howl like a baby!

"Dad," he cooed more softly as he slowly sunk to a squat beside the sitting man.

As he squatted his knees cracked loudly, and the sound reverberated around the quiet room. Jon's watery eyes lifted enough to meet his and then, after a heartbeat, both men laughed.

"Damn knees!" Jack muttered. Jon sat up straighter and laughed once more through his tears.

"You've always had trouble with them, haven't you?"

The younger man nodded then Jon smiled as he cupped Jack's cheek. They fell into an awkward silence as the father scrutinized the son's face. "I can still see you as a ten year old, you know that?"

Jack remained still then he nodded quickly. "I still see Charlie the same way.."

Both sets of chocolate-brown eyes met and remained locked. "I always thought you'd give me another grandchild, until Maude put me straight."

Jack blinked quickly as he looked down; his face still remained in his father's hands. "Dad.."

"Jack, I just want you to be happy. I know that you're used to me as I was before, but losing your mother, it's made me realize that all the rules .."

The graying brow rose slightly. ".. are meant to be broken?" Jack offered.

Jon gave him a wary smile as he said, "Within reason!"

"And me being..." He shrugged. "That's within 'reason' to you?" Jack still found that hard to believe, considering their strict upbringing.

"Love, Jacky-boy, is what would be within reason where you and the kid are concerned!" Jon said, squeezing the face within his hands until Jack's mouth puckered.

"Yeah, great! That's ugh, peachy.. Dad.." Jack mumbled through his distorted mouth, making his father laugh. Jon let the face go with a light tap to the cheek. Rubbing his jaw, Jack muttered, "maybe you should go easy on the love there, Dad. You'll crinkle me, and this face has plenty of those on its own!"

"It's a good face! It's a handsome face!" Jon said.

Jack rolled his eyes as he struggled to his feet again. Flexing his knees he said, "You're only just saying that because everyone keeps telling you how much we look alike.."

Jon chuckled then shrugged. "Hey, you had to get your good looks from somewhere.."

"Mom always told me how handsome the mailman was!"

Pointing his finger up at him, Jon said seriously, "Don't even joke about that kind of thing, kid! What your mother and I shared was very special... and very precious!"

Jack nodded then saw the look in his father's eyes once more. "Aw, if you're going to go on about Danny again.."

"Danny? You call him Danny?"

Jack cringed.

"And he 'let's' you?"

With a crinkle of his nose, Jack shrugged.

"Then it must be love, kiddo!" Jon teased him now. Jack moaned as he rolled his head back. "Listen to me, you tell me he's your friend, he puts up with your crap, no doubt. Bet you bully him and make him watch all the games you wanna watch on the tv, and I bet he has to spring for the pizza all the time.."

Jack frowned and Jon shrugged nonchalantly. "Your mother might have mentioned a few things you kids did together..."

"Sheesh!" Jack sighed and tossed his hands in the air. "There you go, if I were having sex with him, you'd know that by now too!"

"Hey!" Jon pointed at him again. "I can accept that you love him, okay? But don't push it! I don't want to know about the other stuff!" He said with a shudder as he waved his hand around. Jack frowned then decided not to push the point. Jon pushed himself up to his feet as he said, "Love is a beautiful gift..."

Jack rolled his eyes.

"Your mother gave it to me - a long time ago. And it's all she ever wanted for all of you. That you'd grow up, meet someone who'll take you just the way you are, and maybe marry and settle down with you. Never could understand why she stopped pestering you to make it up with Sara, but now I know.."

"No, you don't, but it does so happen that I met Daniel the same time that Sara walked out on me.."

"Your mother called that Fate, son."

"Sheesh, Louise.." Jack mumbled.

"Don't contradict your mother, Jack!" Jon said in half seriousness.

The remonstrated man nodded and lowered his face as he mumbled softly, "Yes, Sir." Jon's eyes shifted to the dark blond head, visible through the glass doors. Jack followed his father's eye line then shook his head, as he mumbled, "Just never thought we'd be having this conversation." He waved his hand between them and quirked his brow when his father met his eyes.

"To be honest, neither did I. It took some to calm me down, but now I see..." He glanced at the door then at Jack. "So, let's cut the crap, kid. Is this boy important to you?"

After a long deliberation Jack said, "Yes. Very." Then pursed his lips together as he flicked his brow up high.

"Does he know?" Jon asked. Jack shook his head mutely. Jon nodded and sighed softly. Pushing himself to his feet too, he patted his son's shoulder. "Maybe you should tell him."

Jack rolled his eyes. "I'll take that under advisement.."

Holding his finger up, Jon narrowed his eyes as he told him, "You get one shot at life. Don't blow it! I don't care if it's male or female, human or alien, that do it for you, but *if * they make you happy, snag them for life, son!"

Jack lowered his face, hiding his expression from his father. He had no idea how close he'd come with the alien quip. He nodded so that his father didn't think he ignored the comment and received a heavy slap on the shoulder before his father moved to the door. Stopping, he turned on the spot and looked back at Jack. "Only, be discreet. Like I said, I can accept it... but I don't 'ever' want to see it!" He arched his brow in the no-nonsense way he used to, which was one of a many expressions his father used that could strike fear into Jack's heart as a child. He felt the familiar clenching around his chest now as he stared back at his father. Wordlessly he nodded, not voicing his query of whether it really was accepting it - to avoid seeing it, but he remained silent. It probably was.

"If love comes your way, son, grab it with both hands." Jon patted his son's shoulder as he headed towards the main bedroom. "And work damn hard at keeping your hands around it and keeping it strong.." He said as he disappeared behind the glass door, waving a goodnight at him as he pushed to door closed.

Jack stood rooted to the spot, a little too stunned to move yet. It quickly flashed across his mind that his father's last comment was very apt in light of the subject of their conversation but he would bet that the older man had no idea of the connotations of the sentence.

He dug his hands into his pockets and headed from the room and back out to the living room, which was now totally empty apart from Daniel, who looked like he'd fallen asleep while sitting there.

Jack stopped at the back of the sofa and leaned down over him. "Jackson.." He whispered, trying to wake him up gently. "Jackson..." He said again in a sing-song voice, a little louder this time. "JACKSON!" He barked in a harsh whisper that earned him the reaction he wanted. The blue eyes shot open quickly. Daniel flung himself back away from the indistinguishable blob until he could make out that it was Jack, hanging upside down in front of him.

"Jesus Jack!" He stammered, looking around them to get his bearings.

"You fell asleep," Jack said, putting one hand on the back of the sofa to fling himself over until he was sitting beside his dazed friend.

"I .,. agh.." Daniel rubbed his face, clumsily dislodging his glasses and appearing completely unaware he'd done it. Jack grinned to himself as he took the teetering glasses and held them for his friend. "I was waiting for you." Daniel told him then looked over his shoulder to the dark room behind him before shifting, first his eyes then his whole head, around to look at Jack. "How did it go?" He asked cautiously, his face cringing a little.

"Probably could go down as one of the strangest conversations with my father in my life.." he said, slipping Daniel's glasses onto his own face and staring at the blurred fire. The younger man frowned, wondering when Jack got his glasses. As he turned back towards him Jack peeled the frames from his face and slid them onto Daniel's face instead, pressing them into place with his index finger.

With a slight roll of his eyes, Daniel asked, "Did things go okay though?"

"I told him he was wrong about us..." Jack said with a nonchalant shrug.

"Oh?' Daniel said as he sat up straighter. The older man frowned, wondering if he noted a tone to his friend's voice, but Daniel's face gave him no indication that he meant anything by the comment. "So, what happens now?"

"Now we go to bed," Jack said as he pushed himself up off the spongy sofa. Daniel rolled his eyes slightly then grappled his way out of the cushions to follow his friend through to the bunkhouse.

"Bring your 'jammies?" Jack whispered.

"Just like you told me to!" Daniel whispered back. Jack nodded then pointed to the living room again. Daniel nodded and retrieved his bed-wear before going back out to the other room but Jack was already making his way towards the bathroom so he waited his turn.

By the time he'd finished changing, Jack was in the kitchen boiling some milk in a pan. Dresses almost identically, except Jack was in gray while Daniel was in dark blue, the men wore pajama bottoms and faded sweatshirts for tops. Both had their feet warm in bed socks.

*

They sat at the kitchen table, eating chocolate biscuits and drinking hot chocolate and taking it in turns to reminisce about Christmas' gone.

*

The next morning, Christmas morning, the 'children' were up bright and early! The commotion slowly woke Jack then as he struggled up onto outstretched arms, he noticed that Daniel was trying to cover his head with his pillow. With a grin the older man picked up his pillow and threw it across the room at his friend. It bounced off and knocked Daniel's glasses off the side table, the wire frames clattering across the floor. Daniel fought the invading pillow then finally struggled to a sitting position, the pillow in his lap.

"Morning!" Jack laughed deeply at his ruffled-hair friend.

"Surely it's still night?" Daniel murmured as he rubbed his hand against his cheek. Jack kicked his feet over the edge of the bed and got up.

"No, and you should get up! Santa's been!" As he passed his friend's bed he slapped him on the back of the shoulder, sending Daniel forward a little - too tired to resist.

Jack stood in the doorway, arms folded across his chest as he watched the bevy of young people destroy all the well-wrapped boxes, tossing ribbon into the air and discarding cards like nothing. He was aware of a sound behind him and he turned to look over his shoulder as Daniel shuffled up to him while putting his glasses on. The younger man peered around Jack's shoulder at the excitement. After watching them a few moments he smiled and said, "guess this is what it's all about."

Jack turned slowly to look back at him. He smiled. "Partly," he said then he turned back around once more. Daniel looked at his profile a moment before returning his attention to the children on the floor. Jack was called into the room to be given a present and while he was gone Daniel moved over to his bag and fetched out a tall bottle bag.

Jack was back in his place in the doorway by the time Daniel came up to him again. The older man frowned as the anthropologist presented the gift to him with a smile.

"Oh?" The colonel said, finally reaching out to take the offered gift.

"Well, I know you said for us not to trade gifts, but I saw this while I was in Cairo recently.."

"The Osiris incident?" Jack asked, looking over the gaily-wrapped bottle. Daniel shrugged, a little awkward about recalling that event.

"Anyway, I picked this up... knowing what a connoisseur you are of such stuff.." Daniel explained as Jack pulled the bottle of Egyptian Beer from the bag.

"Egyptian .. BEER?" Jack tilted his head to look at his grinning friend.

Daniel, pleased that the gift was so unique, quickly explained, "It's a little known fact that the Egyptian's enjoyed their beer. This recipe, known as Pharaoh's Gold, dates back to the time of Neferetti and Tutankhamen." He stopped and watched Jack's face a moment as the older man appraised the bottle in his hand. Then with a wisp of a shyer smile Daniel added, "It's a sweet tasting beer."

"Yeah?" Jack commented as he tried to read the label, but it was in Egyptian.

Daniel pointed to the unusual words and told him, "It say it's for refined tastes.."

"Does it now?" Jack asked skeptically.

Daniel laughed a little nervously then told him, in a hesitant voice, "It's quite a nice beer," and then he bit his lips together before concluding, "I think you'll like it."

"You've tasted it then?" The brown eyes settled onto Daniel's face once more, watching as the archaeologist nodded with a grin. Quirking his brow, Jack mumbled, "Though you didn't like beer?"

Daniel's grin grew a fraction sheepish as he said, "This is .. different. Besides," he added with a soft laugh, "I just don't like the stuff you drink.."

"Oh!" Jack said, over exaggerating the 'hurt' with a bow. Daniel chuckled softly now then lowered his chin to his chest.

"Anyway, Thanks, Danny.." Jack finally said with a laugh as he pulled his friend into a one-armed hug. Daniel patted his back lightly then they slowly pulled back. "Though I distinctly remember saying that we were not to give gifts.."

With a slight shrug, Daniel told him, "You've invited me to share your family's Christmas. A gift was the least I could do, believe me!"

Jack jostled the bottle in his hand then nodded. "I appreciate it."

Daniel's teeth gritted behind his smile as he commented, in a low voice so that he had reason to lean towards his friend, "Know what I'd appreciate?"

Jack jutted his chin slightly as he sized up his friend beside him. "A coffee?"

The grin grew even wider and Daniel confirmed it with a nod. Jack laughed. "Why did I know you'd be thinking that?" He turned and went over to his bed, placing the bottle of beer on the floor beside his bag.

"You know me too well, Jack!" Daniel laughed then clapped his hand across his friend's shoulder as they made their way out of the room together.

*

Susan's eyes widened as she watched the two men come into the kitchen. She was busy with the preparation of the food already, and was watching the present giving from her place at the window over looking the living area. Jack reached over and planted a peck on his sister's cheek while he reached for two cups from the cupboard.

"Morning yourself. We didn't think you were ever going to get up!" She teased him as her eyes fell onto Daniel lurking behind him. The young man gave her a quick smile then he took the cup Jack was passing to him. Susan took the time to watch the distracted stranger, looking unconsciously disheveled in his cobalt pajamas with his blond hair messed into a matted clump at the back of his head.

After the attention he'd paid her last night, the way they sat together on the sofa, talking and laughing like they were friends longer than a few hours, she had trouble sleeping once she went to bed. Her mind was racing, full of fantasy images and scenarios of what it would be like to have an intimate encounter with Daniel. She imagined how soft his voice would sound as he whispered to her, or how intensely blue his eyes would be at a very close distance as they focused entirely onto her, and she wondered about the taste of his lips, or how his hands might feel as they ran up her thigh... With a heavy sigh she returned her attention to the turkey in her hand and tried to ignore the burning in her stomach and thighs now. She wasn't ashamed of the thoughts she had, and knew that any red blooded woman in the world might feel that way about the good looking man. She didn't even feel guilt as her eyes lifted and fell on the sight of her husband, sitting in the far chair, stomach bulging beneath his sweatshirt. She lowered her face as she attended the turkey once more but her thoughts were on the two men beside her.

Not many men, she thought, stealing a sideways glance at the two of them once more as they stood, side by side, in the kitchen doorway while watching the activity in the next room, would feel as comfortable about walking around a house full of strangers in cobalt pajamas as Daniel seemed to be. He looked neat, tidy - not like Jack who always managed to look scruffy at the best of times, and especially now as he padded around the wooden shack in an old UCLA sweatshirt and pants, and thick sock on his feet.

Her eyes followed them around the room as they circled the people and made their way towards the fireplace together. She watched the way they conversed, the way Jack's head always tilted towards him as he spoke, words she knew were only intended for his friend. She envied Jack a little. What it would be like to be standing there, with the warmth of Daniel's body pressed against the back of her shoulder, having a private conversation with him where his attention was totally focused on her - as it had been last night. Her thoughts had come full circle now and she tried to stop the loop. All morning she'd be playing out sweet scenarios in her mind, special moments when Daniel would surprise her in the woodshed or on the back balcony and declare his undying love for her - despite her husband and children! A smile filled her face now as she picked up the bird and placed it into the oven, slamming the door shut and wiping her hands on her apron.

//Ah// she told herself as she picked up her coffee and went into the living room with the others. //It's a harmless fantasy.//

She eased herself onto the arm of the chair her husband was in and he looked up at her and smiled. She bent down and kissed the top of his head then tilted her face to rest her cheek against his balding hair.

End of part 3

* * *


	4. The Christmas Gift Chapter four

**The Christmas Gift** - **Part 4**

As the family sat around the fireplace - everyone fully content after the huge Christmas dinner they'd shared and busy checking out the gifts they'd received - Daniel stood by the window and watched the snow drift down outside. He felt someone behind him and turned to look over his shoulder. Jack's smile greeted him.

"Want a top up?" The older man asked, holding out the coffee pot to him. Daniel twisted and presented his cup for his friend then muttered a 'thanks' as Jack walked away, leaving him to return his attention to the snow outside. After a few moments he felt the presence behind him again and looked over his shoulder, this time it was Susan. He shifted a little to face her now, but his eyes remained on the snow-crusted scene beyond the windows. She smiled at how blue his eyes seemed to be, reflected by all the white outside.

"It's so beautiful," Daniel said, finally shifting his eyes to look upon her.

She smiled as she agreed, "it has a certain charm."

He scoffed as he indicated to the snow-crusted mountains and the river rambling below them at the base of the hill. "You are kidding, right? It's probably the most beautiful place on earth," he told her. She laughed as she folded her arms across her chest.

"To a stranger, I guess it is. I've grown up here and to me, it's just home," she told him as he leaned her shoulder against the window frame, her back to the view now but facing him straight on. "We used to come up here all the time with Grandpa and then sometimes Mom brought us up here during the summer breaks..." Her voice trailed off softly as her eyes grew misty. Daniel diverted his eyes from her to give her some privacy for a moment. She inhaled a long, deep breath then gave an embarrassed smile. "Sorry."

"When Jack invited us to his family's cabin.. I never expected.. this!" He held his hand out to the room. Susan's smile grew wider.

"We still call it the cabin, because that's what it used to be in Grandpa's days. Over the past few years, since dad's retirement, he's been up here with mom, adding rooms to it until-" She shrugged then rolled her head back against the window frame. "I think he and mom intended to retire up here permanently once it was ready..."

Daniel's eyes shifted around the room, at the older O'Neill sitting with his young grand-daughter beside him and laughing with Claude.

"It's hard to lose someone you love very deeply.." He said.

"You talking from experience?" she asked. He nodded then gave a sad smile as he ducked his face.

"I lost my wife last year," he confessed then narrowed his eyes as he looked out the window once more, diverting his gaze from her.

"That's sad," she said then reached out and touched his shoulder.

He bit his lip quickly before saying, "Everyone moves on though - usually.."

"Oh?" Her voice lightened slightly. "So you have..?"

He rolled his eyes to the ceiling as he tilted his head to the side slightly while saying, "I've tried to.."

She wasn't sure what he meant by that so she asked, "But it's too painful?"

Blinking quickly he said, through a slightly embarrassed laugh, "Actually, it's more a case of moving 'on' to the wrong people.."

Susan dropped her face as a smile kissed her lips. "Oops, I see."

He sighed as he watched the snow falling outside. "Do you think we'll be able to drive out of here tomorrow?"

She followed his gaze, and noted the sudden change of topic. "You're with Jack, he'll get you out of here."

Daniel slotted his eyes to look at her. "What's that mean?"

She shrugged. "Well, two things, I guess. I've never known Jack to have trouble driving in any kind of weather. He's a good driver. But I guess what I really meant was that he doesn't like these family events, so he's probably champing at the bit to go even now."

Daniel turned to see his friend sitting on the sofa, head bowed and one arm resting along the back of the sofa as he read the book in his lap. He was dressed in a cream hand-knitted sweater and the same denim jeans from yesterday. Again he looked gorgeous to Daniel.

The anthropologist shifted his eyes back onto Susan. Referring only to his behavior with his family, Daniel said to her, "He seems fine to me."

She nodded then smiled brightly. "Actually, I think that's largely to do with you being here. You're probably his buffer, without even knowing it."

This puzzled Daniel. Jack was so quiet about coming up here in the first place so Susan's comments were intriguing him even more. "What makes you say that?"

Susan slanted her eyes towards the room as she lowered her voice and told him, "Dad and Jack have had this uneasy peace between then the past few years but before that, well... Dad wasn't around for us, let's put it that way." She looked at him now.

"Well, I kinda noticed a little... strain.... between them last night, but today.." he looked over at the two of them, then back at her, "they both seem fine."

"Yeah, well, the peace has definitely been kept so far today..." Susan told him, quirking her brow in much the same way Jack had of doing it.

"But you don't expect it to last?" Daniel asked, bowing his head as he spoke to her.

"To be honest?" She answered that by screwing her nose up as she shook her head quickly. "I'd love it to, though. It would be nice to think they'd reached some kind of peace - especially now that Mom's no longer around to be the buffer..."

She smiled at Daniel now as she lifted her chin slightly. With a curious look in her eye she said to him, "Maybe you 'are' his calming raft?" Suddenly Amy called to her mother, waving her hand over her head for her immediate attention. Susan patted his arm and walked over to her daughter who was frantically beckoning her.

Unbeknownst to her, her words had sent a shiver along Daniel's spine. If he was Jack's calming raft, enough so that even his family could see it, then what did that mean about the dynamics of their friendship? Considering the conversation with Jon last night, and now this, Daniel wondered, too, at his ability to buffer Jack from his family. Could it mean more? Or was this just hopeful thinking on his part?

A sobering thought hit him though. He wasn't the only one invited this weekend! What might have happened had Sam come, for instance? Would things be different? Certainly Jon would not have had the same conversation with her. In fact she probably would have been treated by everyone as if she were Jack's girlfriend, and knowing the two of them, it would be something they suffered through - even played along with - just to keep everyone happy and off Jack's back.

Wouldn't that have confused Jon? Probably nearly as much as it confused him at the moment! If Jack was gay - as Jon seemed insistent upon - what about Jack's confession to him about kissing Sam during the looping? Did that really happen? Or was it something Jack made up, for reasons known only to himself? So maybe Jack was bi-sexual, and Jon - a self-proclaimed ignorant - didn't know the difference? Daniel sighed as he returned his gaze out to the snow outside. Bi-sexual, meaning, of course, that Jack's attraction to Sam, which seemed to be growing more and more obvious of late, might just be real. Again Daniel recalled how Jack had told him that nothing would happen between him and Sam so long as he was her commanding officer.

But up here- away from the prying eyes of the military and in a setting as romantic as this - how would Jack have treated her? When they were in private? During times like the wood shed last night? Times when they were alone and didn't have the prying eyes of his family upon them even? What then?

Daniel's golden lashes fluttered as he diverted his eyes to the rich red and blue rug under his feet as he pondered that. He knew from Jack himself that he found her attractive enough to kiss - even if it was at a time of absolutely no repercussions, as was Jack's excuse. Would they have done things differently this weekend? Surely she would not be over by this window, deliberately keeping a safe distance between herself and Jack - as he was doing. She would, he imagined, be sitting right beside him on the sofa - and they would be talking and sharing anecdotes with his family that would make Jack blush. He smiled inwardly as he thought about that. What if he and Jack were lovers and Jon's acceptance of it was upheld by all the family? So much so that they were treated much like any couple? So much so that they could be sitting there now, swapping amusing anecdotes about the man they all loved to varying degrees...? That thought warmed Daniel's heart and sent tendrils of gooseflesh down his back.

But he and Jack were just friends - that was the sobering truth of it. Even if Jon thought otherwise, and he'd hoped otherwise, Jack's actions this morning were clearly driving that point home to the anthropologist.

It was too strange to even try to hold conversation with him at the moment; they were both abrupt and seemed to have a lot of trouble meeting the other's eyes. The last time they were alone was when he gave Jack the present, and that was awkward enough. He wasn't sure what he wanted or expected when he gave the gift over. A hug as a 'thank you' perhaps? Jack had often hugged him in thanks before, but Daniel distinctly noted the lack of hug this morning. Was he self-conscious about his father or that others might see it? Or was he now afraid of giving him the wrong impression?

Daniel knew they needed to discuss it but everything he wanted to talk about could not be said in front of other people. Breakfast was hard enough; merely asking for the ketchup without meeting the brown gaze was tough going. There was so much he wanted to ask Jack, so much he felt they needed to talk through, to resolve in order to keep the friendship, if nothing else. Yet Jack was making no attempt to get him aside to talk anything through. He kept himself in the heart of the house, only getting up to go to the bathroom or to refill his coffee cup, but he didn't appear to be sulking or withdrawn either. In fact, he looked better than Daniel could ever recall him looking in a long time as he laughed and joked with his siblings, and got on the ground to wrestle with his nephews. Dressed in thick winter clothes - a hand-knitted beige sweater (a present from Sara last year, as it happened), denim jeans and thick white socks - Jack looked 'fresh'. Even his face was different up here - bright, with a smile that Daniel wished he'd had opportunity to use more back at home.

Susan returned to him and smiled when she followed his gaze over to Jack.

"You're a thinker, aren't you?" She said with a slight tease in her voice as she looked back at him.

He blushed a little then lowered his face. "Sometimes there's a lot to think about," he told her honestly.

She gave a soft laugh as she patted his shoulder. "Well, it's Christmas Day. You're surrounded by good food, good beer and, hopefully, good company." Her smile was so like Jack's that Daniel had to respond to it with a smile of his own. She reminded him of someone too, but he wasn't sure who it was. Perhaps it was Jack, but thinking about it, Daniel knew that wasn't quite who Susan put him in mind of.

"Yes." He nodded, suddenly feeling foolish for ostracizing himself from the others. "You're right."

"I'm an O'Neill, of course I'm right. Hasn't Jack taught you that yet?"

Daniel laughed as he crinkled his nose. "He tries, though I'm not sure we all buy it.."

Susan arched her throat as she laughed deeply. "Oooh, I'm sure he'd love to hear that."

"Just-" He broke through their jocularity with a quick raise of his finger - "I was just curious about what you were saying about him earlier."

"About?"

"How he's normally different, uptight, with you all. The Jack I see here today is so.. well, relaxed," he said, with a sweet smile of sincerity kissing his lips. "I just think you should know that."

She looked at him a moment then asked, "He is?"

Daniel nodded then shrugged. "Just thought you might like to know that, to know that he's not 'feigning' anything with you. I've never seen him so relaxed, and I spend a lot of time with him, on duty and off.."

After a few moments she nodded. "Thank you." Then a grateful smile curled her lips as she admitted earnestly, "You've no idea how much that means, to me especially." He saw how important that was to her by the look in her eyes. With a faint smile she sighed shakily then gazed out of the window. In a small, somewhat sad, voice she admitted to him, "In the past, they'd have been at each other's throats before now." Her eyes shifted onto his brilliant blue gaze once more. "Maybe Jack's just behaving himself in front of you.."

"Oh, I doubt that," Daniel muttered with a wry smile. "He's never bothered in the past.."

Susan chuckled at his honesty and broke her own melancholy. "Oh, so you 'do' know my brother well then?"

Daniel snorted softly as he wiped his finger across his closed lips. "Yeah! Hang around him way too much sometimes..."

Susan's brown eyes shone warmly at him in the reflective light from outside. "It's good. It's nice to know he has friends.. like you."

Daniel wet his lips then bowed his head. "Jack's got many friends.. " he told her but the look she gave him in return clearly told him that she found that hard to believe. With a bashful chuckle he said, "Well, okay, a few 'good' friends then!"

She smiled and nodded, seeming to find that easier to believe. Daniel found the familiarity with her comforting, but a little confusing at the same time. She was so much like Jack in so many ways; in the quirk of a brow, the same way of speaking, the same wry smile and no-nonsensical manner. She patted his arm and, with no words of parting, turned and went across the room to her family in front of the fireplace once more. Watching her go Daniel took the opportunity to shift his gaze across the room to where Jack was, once again reading his book - one hand cradled a coffee cup on his bent knee while the other rested, at his wrist, across his ankle. As he lowered his eyes he caught Jon's gaze and froze. The older O'Neill simply raised his glass then turned his attention to Claude, who was sitting beside him. Daniel nibbled his bottom lip as he shifted to look out of the window once more.

"Hey! Daniel!"

He turned from the window and saw Jack, still sitting on the sofa but leaning back now, a devilish glint in his eyes. "You gonna stand there all day?"

A little embarrassed that the entire room seemed to have stopped what they were doing to look at him, Daniel shrugged then wrapped his arms across his chest. This made Jack laugh as he pushed himself up off the sofa to cross the room, waving his hands at everyone else and jokingly telling them to go back to their business, that there was nothing to see. By the time he reached Daniel's side the younger man was pink in the face.

"Sorry," Jack whispered, nudging him with his shoulder. Daniel gave a quick smile then nodded. "Just wondered what was so fascinating out there," Jack continued, peering out the window to all the white outside. Raising a brow quickly he shifted his eyes to look at the man beside him. "And.. I'm 'still' wondering what.. is so ... fascinating...out there.."

Daniel's nose crinkled as he smiled and turned back to the window. Jack looked over the profile of his friend then asked, in a soft voice and somewhat sincerely, "You having fun yet?"

Daniel turned towards him and nodded as his eyes scanned the domestic scene around them. "It's been great, thanks."

"Even if the potatoes were burnt?" Jack laughed.

"I like my potatoes well done."

Jack scratched the back of his head as he said, "Yeah, but mine were black, what color were yours?"

Daniel chuckled and lowered his face. "Black."

Both men laughed now and Jack patted Daniel on the shoulder, "Come on," he said, stepping away. Daniel frowned.

"What?"

Jack jerked his head and simply said, "Come on."

Daniel, a little curious and somewhat bemused, pushed his hands into his pant's pockets and followed Jack through to the back of the cabin, wondering if he was finally going to talk to him about the revelations last night. But, as they stopped by the back door Jack started taking coats off the rack, passing one to Daniel without saying a word, the confused young man looked at the coat then at his friend. Jack indicated for him to put it on, so Daniel did.

"You said you brought your snow boots, right?" His friend asked. Daniel nodded so Jack went back into the cabin and into the bunkroom, soon returning with two pairs of thick snow boots. He dropped Daniel's at his feet then leaned against the wall and pulled his own on.

"Am I to gather we're going.. outside?" Daniel's heart thudded in his chest. Was he really ready for this yet, despite all his ponderings?

Jack tilted his face up and nodded. "You're so damn fascinated by it, thought you'd like to see the boat shed."

"Boat shed?" Daniel's blue eyes blinked quickly as a touch of nervousness strained his words.

Jack sighed and rolled his eyes. "Don't worry, Danny, I'm not going to take you 'out' in a boat. Half the river's frozen over anyway.."

Daniel was about to protest, to admit that that thought was furthermost from his mind at the moment, but Jack shot him a silencing smile. "I know Teal'c told you about our boating mishap when we were up here earlier this year," he said. Daniel raised his brow high, feigning innocence (for Teal'c had), but Jack wasn't buying the act. He laughed then patted his friend's arm good-naturedly before stamping his feet into his boots to secure them. "I just want to show you the boatshed. I used to go there with my grandfather all the time when I was a kid.."

Daniel smiled at that thought. It was hard to imagine Jack as a 'kid' despite the photographs around the cabin that proved that he once was. Daniel had only seen the one photo of Charlie, Jack kept it in his office back on base, but while he was looking at the wall of family portraits Daniel couldn't help but note the similarity between Jack and Charlie when they were both eight years old.

"Did you ever come up here with Charlie?" he asked without really thinking about it. Jack stopped buttoning his jacket and raised his face to look at him.

"Couple of times," he told him, his voice still sad whenever he spoke of his son. Daniel nodded then lowered his face to concentrate on his zip.

"We'd sit on the jetty just out there and toss in a line -just kicking back," Jack went on, wistfully - a gentle smile lit his face as he recalled the warm summers he spent here with his family. Jack looked at Daniel then jerked his head towards the back door. "Ready?"

The anthropologist nodded and tugged on his thick gloves before following his friend out of the back door.

*

The snow was only lightly falling, and the white blanket on the ground was soft and difficult to walk through. The two of them headed towards the small wooden shed on the other side of the cabin from the jetty.

Unbeknownst to them, Jon was standing at the window back up in the house on the hill, watching the two men trail footprints in the virgin snow. He lowered his face, staring down into his hot coffee as he thought about what his wife had told him a few weeks before her death - that it was important to have love in your life, no matter where it came from and no matter who it came from. He was angry at first, outraged that his son might be 'queer' but Maude's words kept flooding back to him, over and over, that no matter who he loved, Jack was always Jack and that Jon should be proud of him for that. And Jon was proud of his son. He took pride in Jack's military achievements and the fact that his son had made Colonel while still a relatively young man. He began to wonder why Jack hadn't advanced from that ranking in the past few years, but Maude had told him that Jack had explained to her why he hadn't. He'd told her that he was in a 'good' place in his life; he had a good home, a good job and a good team to work with. He didn't need anything more. Jon looked at the two men, still making their way across the icy ground towards the boat shed, and wondered if Daniel was part of Jack's contentedness. He wasn't crazy about the notion that Jack preferred men, but it wasn't his place to voice an opinion on that, and from what he'd observed about Daniel, he hoped he might be the sort of person Jack could or would, spend the rest of his life with. The boy seemed like a nice 'man'; quietly spoken, well mannered and intelligent - everything Jon liked in a person, so why wouldn't Jack? He just avoided thinking about the physical aspect of the relationship between the two strapping men. It was easier that way.

Susan came up and hooked her hand over her father's shoulder, breaking his thoughts before they went to a place Jon wanted to avoid at all costs. Father and daughter exchanged smiles as she said to him, "Penny for them."

Jon shook his head then sighed. "Just missing your mother, I guess."

Susan rubbed her father's shoulder before reaching up on tiptoe to kiss his cheek lightly. "She'd have loved this Christmas, wouldn't she?" she asked, her eyes tearing up. Jon nodded, brushing his lips across his daughter's forehead as he sighed sadly.

"She sure would have. Seeing everyone happy.."

Susan threw her arms around her father and hugged him tightly and he buried his face into her neck, accepting the cuddle from her, not sure who was comforting whom.

End of part 4

* * *


	5. The Christmas Gift Chapter five

**The Christmas Gift** - **Part 5**

The old door creaked loudly as Jack shoved it open forcefully. Snow dropped from the roof as the whole shed shuddered from the force. Daniel jumped to the side a little to avoid the fall then he peered into the darkness. Jack stepped inside then pulled a lighter from his pocket and reached for an oil lamp. He lit the wick and set it aside before shutting the door behind Daniel, who'd followed him inside.

"Wow," Daniel said, looking around the wooden room. It was a typical boat shed, with the small rowboat bobbing in the water in the center of the room, and able to be launched straight out onto the river through a large open archway. Boat oars were threaded into the rafters above their head, along with an assortment of fishing rods and other paraphernalia. On the other side of the shed were a workbench and a fridge. On the whole, the place was not big, but functional and large enough to house the four man rowboat and to provide some solace from the family when needed.

Jack went over to the fridge and found it was off. He extracted two bottles of beer, holding one up to his friend. "It's not Egyptian.." He said, a little teasingly. Daniel smiled then shrugged.

"It will do.." He nodded, surprised when Jack threw the bottle across the room to him. The frantic young man caught it; the gloves on his hands making him fumble it slightly. Jack smiled at him then tugged a glove off his hand to pries open the lid of his bottle.

"Jesus Jack!" Daniel muttered, circling the boat and going over to him.

"Not like you'd have ruined the décor if you'd dropped it, Danny boy," Jack said, taking the bottle and opening it for him. "You know, they are surprisingly cold, for bottles that have been in a switched off fridge for a few months.

"Oh," Daniel said, pausing the bottle on his bottom lip. "Beer doesn't go off, does it?"

Jack looked at him then shrugged so Daniel took a sip. Watching him take the first tentative gulp Jack quipped, "You tell me."

"Jack!" Daniel blustered as he pulled the bottle from his mouth. Jack laughed then took a long drink from his own bottle.

"Relax, Daniel!"

The two men moved over to the front of the boat shed, looking out through the opening at the river and its snow-crusted banks. Daniel was standing in front, with Jack behind him, peering over his shoulder as he braced himself against the top of the wall with one hand. Lifting the hand that held his bottle, Jack pointed to the middle of the river and said, "That's where Teal'c took his swim.."

Daniel looked back over his shoulder at the laughing man. "From what he tells me, you tipped the boat deliberately!"

Jack's brown eyes shone in the brightness. "Like I'd do something like that!" He quipped cheekily. Daniel narrowed his eyes; clearly indicating that he believed Jack would do something like that - especially to Teal'c. Part of him wondered now if it was to see Teal'c in wet clothes, or to give him a reason to get him out of them... He realized he was staring at his friend and he diverted his eyes as he lowered his face. Jack, seeing Daniel's discomfort, sighed then stepped back from him.

"So what do you think of the O'Neill cabin?" He asked, throwing his arms wide flamboyantly.

Daniel's eyes flittered towards the now closed door, in the direction of the house, and then he looked at Jack. "It's considerably bigger than it looks on the outside."

Jack grinned as he eased himself into a chair, then he told him, "it used to be a lot smaller, like a real cabin, but since Dad's retirement he's been coming up here, adding bits on here and there, sprucing it up a little."

"A 'little'," Daniel commented flatly as he nodded, clearly indicating that he thought that was quite an understatement.

"I think - once it was ready - he and Mom..." Jack's voice softened on the last word, and he bowed his head considerably. Daniel frowned and watched him carefully. Jack's hand came up to his bowed face then he seemed to wipe his cheeks before sniffing back harshly. This surprised Daniel. Jack had seemed alright since their arrival yesterday, but now, it seemed, now that they were alone, he could let his feelings show. At least, Daniel thought as he watched his friend scrub a hand across his face roughly, it would be nice to think that's what was happening.

With a cough to clear his throat, Jack sat back. Daniel met the misty gaze and tilted his head a little. Jack's face instantly dropped again, and he placed his beer onto the ground by his foot before lacing his fingers behind his head and squeezing as he made a soft growling noise.

Daniel frowned. He'd never seen Jack mourn before - this was all so new to him. With a certain amount of caution, he stepped away from the opening and came over to where his friend was sitting, all hunched over and toying with the beer bottle within his long fingers once more. Jack's head lifted a little, like he was almost going to look up again, but instead all he did was bring the bottle to his lips, at a strange angle, and swallowed a large mouthful of the bitter liquid.

Standing right before him now, Daniel reached for the other chair and sat himself down into it as he continued to watch Jack rub his face roughly, seemingly trying to scour his mind of thoughts of his lost mother.

"You miss her a lot, don't you?"

The bowed head nodded but Jack didn't say anything. Daniel placed his bottle on the workbench and laced his fingers together, hanging his hands in the space between his parted knees. He leaned forward and said, "She must have been someone pretty special.."

Jack smiled sadly, lifting his face now to look at his friend. "She was," he said with a nod. Daniel smiled too.

Holding his finger up he made a small circle in the air as Daniel asked, "was this something you all did regularly? Getting together like this?"

The older man swallowed then lifted his chin slightly, parting his lips to inhale a slow breath. "No, not really. Which is a shame, now when you think of it."

Daniel bit his lips together and nodded as he kept a watchful gaze on his friend.

"Mom loved these sorts of things though. We managed it maybe once or twice a year, you know, but for the past few years I've been scheduled to be off world whenever something's been organized, so I'd have to pull out at the last minute. She always seemed to understand," he concluded with a shrug then took a long swig of his drink.

Daniel blinked quickly as he looked down at his hands.

"She'd have liked you.."

The blue eyes lifted and focused on Jack once more. "Huh?"

With a smile, Jack told him, "Mom would have liked you. She always liked the intelligent ones," then he mumbled as he brought the drink back to his lips, "always liked me having intelligent friends."

Daniel wasn't sure how to answer that so he remained silent.

"Dad liked me having strong friends, and Mom liked the clever ones." Jack fell quiet a moment, then after a while, with his voice now strained with suppressed emotion, he continued, "Dad hated me having any geeky friends. He couldn't stand them. He could be so cruel about them sometimes..." He paused long enough to take a sip of beer then he returned to his reflections; "It was as though I was going to be judged by the company I kept or something."

Daniel lowered his face. How hard would it have been for Jack to grow up with a father who so hated any show of weakness? It must have been even harder for him then, as a homosexual growing up in the shadow of such a bigoted man. Daniel was lucky. For him, when the realization came that he preferred men to women, his foster parents accepted the news without question. Daniel had often wondered if they readily accepted it because he wasn't really 'their' son - so it was no reflection upon them as people to have a gay child.

"Unfortunately," Daniel said, rubbing his hands together and commenting on Jack's last statement, "we generally are. Even as adults we are judged in society not by what we know, to many extents, but by who know, and with whom we keep company. It's human nature.." He stopped when he saw Jack's wry smile then lowered his chin to his chest.

"Thanks, Professor.." Jack said drolly.

Daniel chuckled softly. "Don't mention it," he said, lifting his face once more.

Jack held the stare a long time before shifting his eyes and muttering, "Thanks for being here with me, Danny. It means a lot."

The anthropologist shrugged as he sat back in his chair. "It's a pity Sam and Teal'c couldn't make it," he commented, reaching for his drink again.

"Yeah," Jack said but something in his tone belied the word. Daniel looked at him. "I just had a thought.."

"What's that?" Daniel asked, sipping his beer then giving a silent shudder as the bitter liquid washed down his throat.

"I wonder what my father thinks we're up to in here. When I was a kid he stormed down here one time and discovered me having a smoke, then the next year I was stealing a beer from his fridge.."

"So he probably thinks you're stealing beer again.. which would be right," Daniel said, holding the bottle up before taking another sip, again shivering at the bitterness. "He'll probably storm in any moment to catch us.."

Jack quirked his brow then looked at the bottle in his hand. "Ooh, I doubt that, very much!" Daniel laughed, not immediately sensing the seriousness in Jack's tone. "I think he's too scared to come down here this time."

The anthropologist frowned, suddenly sensing Jack's mood. "Why?"

Rolling his head back slightly, Jack's dark eyes narrowed as he looked at Daniel. "You're a smart man, Danny.. think about it."

The golden brows knitted then Daniel's face lit with realization. He looked at Jack and the older man nodded as he tossed the lid of his beer bottle onto the ground while saying, casually, "he probably thinks we've come here to be alone.."

"Oh!" Daniel said, looking at his feet. Jack scrubbed his hands down his face and sighed loudly as he leaned back in his seat, suddenly embarrassed again. Daniel turned and put the beer on the bench beside him again then he clasped his hands together and sat forward.

"Look, I'm so sorry about all that, by the way," Jack said, watching Daniel lean forward.

The anthropologist shook his head as he muttered, "it's not your fault."

"Yeah well, I know that, but it doesn't stop it from all being just that little bit awkward.." He said, screwing his face up cynically.

"No, no, not at all, it's not awkward..." Daniel tried to make him believe that.

Snorting in disbelief however, Jack mumbled as he brought his bottle to his lips once more, "Sure! You've been mistaken for being my lover, Daniel-"

"Well, that's not a problem, per se.." Daniel cut him off quickly.

Jack, still with his mind focused on his rant, continued to mutter, "Merry Christmas Danny-boy, you've got yourself a 'boyfriend' for Christmas!" He snarled, the embarrassment making him sound nasty.

"Jack..!"

Jack eyed him a moment before quipping, "Least they think I've got good taste.."

Taken aback slightly by the offhand compliment Daniel smiled abruptly. "Well, thank you.."

Jack shook his head as he muttered, "See, I just don't want it changing things between us. Stuff like this.."

"Like what?"

"This!" Jack waved his hand between the two of them. "The rapport we have.."

"We have a rapport?" Daniel raised a brow quizzically.

"Yes, we have a rapport, Daniel, and you know it as well as I do..."

"Oh, well if you say so, Jack.."

"I do!" He nodded sharply.

Sucking back a deep breath, Daniel said, "I hate to say this then Jack, but I think it already has - changed things a little, I mean.."

The older man screwed his eyes shut tightly. He'd noticed how Daniel had kept his distance all day.

"Can't you just.. forget about it .. or something..?" Jack moaned beseechingly.

"Not really, no," Daniel said. Jack growled as he sat forward, his hands falling between his parted knees. Then he dipped his head and laced his fingers behind his head, sighing heavily. Daniel watched him a moment then sat forward as well, coming in closer. When Jack sat up again, he didn't seem to notice how much closer they were now, but he did stare straight into Daniel's eyes.

The younger man gave him a shy smile. "Look, Jack, if it would make you feel any better maybe we could get together one night at my place to discuss this.."

"I don't think discussing this is a good idea.." Jack said with a wary smile as he shook his head, a little forlornly.

"I think we need to discuss this," Daniel said doggedly, but when Jack looked at him in surprise he dipped his face shyly. With his head still lowered, Daniel went on to say, "I could cook you dinner, we could have some wine..."

"You're not hearing me, Danny-" Jack protested weakly. Did he need to spell it out? He didn't want to discuss his homosexuality with him for fear that his attraction to him might be revealed. At least by leaving it all unsaid, nothing would come out to destroy what they had already.

Daniel blithely went on however, "In fact, I know a dish that would go really well with that bottle of beer I gave you.."

"Danny! Please!" Jack yelled abruptly, finally silencing his friend's prattle. He stared at Daniel's wide eyes then got up out of his chair and went to the opening of the boat shed. He reached up and leaned against the frame above his head as he shifted all his weight onto one foot. Daniel watched him a long moment, then he slowly got up out of his chair and went over to him. Standing behind him he saw the worry etched on Jack's face.

"Jack," he called to him softly and felt his heart sink when he watched Jack's eyes screw shut.

"Please, can we just drop this? I don't want to talk about it. Not with you, not with anyone.."

"I need to talk about it ..." Daniel repeated stubbornly.

Turning sharply Jack seemed to loom over him as he said, "For crying out loud, Daniel! I'm a gay man, okay? I'm a *gay* man and you're a good looking.."

He caught his breath on those words then he gave a weak smile when he realized his hidden fears had finally been revealed. Averting his eyes from Daniel's wide-eyed stare he threw his hands into the air and decided that the damage had already been done. Watching the horrible realization creep across his friend's face was not something he could do however, so he leaned on the frame of the boat shed opening and stared at the icy water as he admitted, in a soft, confessional voice, "You're a '_very_' good looking man, Danny..."

"Jack..?" Daniel's voice cracked slightly with surprise.

Holding his hand up behind him, Jack silenced him. "May as well admit the truth," he muttered then looked over his shoulder to the dumbfounded man and gave him a weak smile, "You deserve that Daniel, and if losing my mother has taught me anything, it's taught me to let those you love... know that.. you .. love.... them."

Daniel's mouth moved but no words came out. Jack gave a sad, desolate laugh as he shook his head, then he turned away towards the river again.

"Are you telling me you *love* me, Jack?" The younger man asked when he found his voice again.

Shaking his head, the colonel muttered, "Not that way, Danny." He looked back at him as he said, "for me, love has to come from being with someone - intimately - for a long, long time. I love and care about you as a friend.." With a nervous shrug, he added, "and there's a spark of something more.. but.." He couldn't finish that sentence. Instead he rolled his eyes and turned away again.

"So? Are you saying you find me attractive?" The voice behind him was quiet with surprise.

Rolling his eyes Jack scoffed at that innocence of that. Finding him attractive didn't half cover it. He desired him. He craved him. He wanted to know what it felt like to hold his sweaty body in his arms as he made love to him....

"Yeah-" He lowered his face and mumbled, "I guess I am. I'm sorry.."

There was a silence for a moment then Daniel stepped up behind him. "Jack," he said in a low, gentle voice. Jack's head jerked at the sound but he didn't look around. Daniel laid his hand on his shoulder and shook him lightly. "Please, look at me.."

Shaking his head Jack said, "No, Danny.." There was a gut-wrenching plea in his voice now and although he regretted it, he knew he was incapable of preventing it.

Daniel tugged on the shoulder harder, spinning him around then he grabbed Jack's face in his hands and stared into the dark brown eyes. "It's okay," he whispered but despite his encouraging smile Jack still lowered his eyes towards the floor. Daniel swallowed quickly then nervously fluttered his eyelashes as he slowly bent his elbows, pulling Jack inches closer.

Quivering inside, he touched his lips to his friend's for the first time. His eyes were still open -he was too nervous to close them - and he was aware of Jack's eyes springing open as soon as their mouths touched. Daniel knew he was trembling notably now, and that his own trepidation prevented him from deepening the kiss, but it was enough and he knew it. It told Jack what he needed to know, surely.

Slowly he pulled back, his tongue quickly wetting his dry lips as he focused onto the bewildered brown eyes.

"Well, that was interesting..." Jack said quietly.

Daniel nibbled his bottom lip as he watched his friend closely. "I can do better," he admitted with a self-conscious laugh as he lowered his chin to his chest.

"So? Was that just a test, to see how you liked it?" Jack asked sincerely.

Daniel elongated the word, "No!" as he arched his brow high yet kept his eyes firmly focused on the floor. "It's.. agh.. it's something I've wanted to do..."

"Oh! Jesus, Danny!" The tone of Jack's voice made Daniel look up, surprised to hear such a growl.

"What?"

"What the hell are you telling me here?"

"That I'm attracted to you..?" Daniel said, almost making it sound like a question as he tilted his head to the side. Jack stared intimately at the face before him. He narrowed his eyes as he took in the shyness of his friend now.

"You're attracted..? Oh, crap!" He sighed and stepped away.

Frowning, Daniel crossed his arms over his chest as he watched his agitated friend. "Okay, not quite the reaction I was.. agh.. hoping for.."

The older man growled as he twirled on the spot to face him, his boots scraping the dirt on the wooden planks. "Don't you see what this means?"

Wetting his lips quickly Daniel said, "In my books, mutual attraction is usually a 'good' thing, Jack.."

Gripping his short, gray hair in his hands Jack shook his head. "No. Not in this case!"

The golden brows rose up higher than the frames Daniel was wearing. "Ugh, wanna explain that to me please?"

Jack's hands slid down his face, dragging slowly across his features. "Danny, you drive me crazy already when we go through that damn gate! And I'm just a friend who's got this huge, honking thing for you! What the hell am I meant to do with you once I .. I.." He indicated towards the archaeologist with a sweep of his hand before sighing and tossing the hand in the air. "Well, you know.."

Unfolding his arms, Daniel ventured closer to him with one step. "Once you've.. what.. Jack?"

Clenching his eyes shut, the older man shook his head and laughed derisively. "You're pushing it, Jackson."

A wry smile filled the young man's face. "You mean, how are you meant to keep your mind off my ass once you've had it?" His smile became a laugh the instance Jack's eyes sprung open and his jaw dropped.

Still serious, Jack said, "More along the lines of keeping your ass *safe* on missions..." He paused, watching Daniel nod. "Once I've had it.."

"Once you've had it.." Daniel also finished the sentence at the same time. Realizing the seriousness of it all, he said, "I get your point now.."

"At least with unrequited love I was distanced from you. I could keep you safe because I wasn't *too* emotionally involved. Sure I kept imagining that certain looks or touches from you actually meant anything," Jack said gloomily.

"Usually they did," Daniel muttered miserably. The older man looked at him then rolled his eyes.

"Peachy!"

Daniel gnawed his bottom lip as he said, "If I wasn't on your team, what would happen?"

"I probably wouldn't have known you enough to feel this way about you," Jack said.

Shaking his head and pointing to the floor, Daniel said, "I mean now. If I wasn't on your team now."

Holding his hand up, Jack vehemently denied that thought. "No way! I can't have you *not* on my team. SG-1 is the flagship, Danny. We need the best and that's you!"

"You'd rather work with me than be my partner?" Daniel asked tightly.

"Don't you see? I'd see more of you if we remain on the same team! Christ, could you imagine what our life would be like? I gather you mean you'll be on another SG team. So we'd never see each other!"

Rolling his eyes Daniel sighed heavily. "Well, I can't go back on my feelings for you either, Jack."

"We just can't act on them," the colonel said, hoping to sound more convincing than he felt.

"You're kidding, right?" Daniel scoffed then screwed his face up. "Oh, I get it. This is probably how you're coping with your attraction to Sam too, isn't it?"

"What?"

"God! I'm so damn stupid!" Daniel hissed as he shook his head. He started to walk away and Jack reached out to stop him.

"What?"

"Your attraction to Sam Carter, Jack. Ring any bells? Certainly set off a few where the Tok'ra were concerned, *if* you recall..." He hated that he sounded so bitter but he couldn't help it. "*I care more for her than I should*"

"Oh, Jesus, Danny!"

"Hey, it was you who told me you kissed her in the loop.." He waved his hands above his head.

Jack sighed as he said, "For crying out loud!"

"Go on! Deny that too, Jack!"

"I can't," he said quietly. "I did it." With a visible shiver he added, "And it was like kissing my sister!"

Daniel's head tilted slightly then he realized that that was who Susan had reminded him of – Sam. Though Susan looked like Jack, the way they interacted closely resembled the 'friendship' that Jack and Sam seemed to share now. His mouth dropped open slightly and Jack saw this and nodded. "Like kissing my sister. I realized that Sam and I.. I'd confused my feelings for her.. but after that looping thing, I realized that .. she's my surrogate Susan.."

Covering his face with one hand Daniel murmured, "When you said you'd done something 'else' during the loop that you'd wanted to do.. I thought you meant you'd slept with her…"

"With Carter?"

Daniel shrugged. It didn't seem so incestuous at the time. Blinking rapidly he looked everywhere he could, but at Jack.

"Jesus Danny," the older man sighed and shook his head. "What I did was kiss you.."

It took a few moments then the archaeologist realized what he heard. He lowered his eyes and focused onto the squinted brown eyes. "You ..what?"

Jack arched his brow as he repeated, "I also kissed you..."

"You kissed me?" Daniel was flabbergasted. "What the hell were you doing?"

"Ah, teaching you to swing a golf club actually.." Jack said, and then grimaced as he anticipated the explosion to follow from that confession.

But no explosion came. Daniel merely asked, quietly, "A golf club?"

"Nine iron to be exact." Jack gave a short, sharp smile then sighed as he shoved his hands into his pants pockets.

Daniel began to chuckle. "Nine iron?"

"You were such a dweeb! The divots you would have kicked up!" He shook his head.

Daniel was building up slowly to a full on laugh by now. "You - teaching *me* -to play golf?"

Jack was grinning now. He shrugged, a little cockily, as he said, "Hey, you were a little ... ugh.. bad.. but you got better towards the end."

"Was that in the gate room, too?" Daniel asked before biting his lips together and trying to look sincere.

"Yup. It was pretty classic really. I was leaning over you to show you how to grip... the.. ugh.. stick.."

Daniel wet his lips as he lowered his face, his shoulders shaking from his suppressed laughter. "Go on."

Scratching at his brow, Jack said, "Agh, well, you kinda turned to me and asked if you had the grip right and our ugh.. eyes.. kinda met and umm.. you well, you know.."

Daniel hugged himself tightly now and he bowed his head right over then nodded. Jack could see he was laughing and so cocked his head and said, "Okay, so what's so damn funny?"

The blond head lifted and he looked at him as he bit his lips together hard. "I'm sorry Jack, but please tell me I didn't ask you if my grip was *tight* enough?"

Jack head twitched slightly. "Yeah, as a matter of fact.."

Daniel rolled his eyes as he looked away, still chuckling quietly to himself.

"What the hell is so damn funny, Daniel? I expected you to be pissed off - a little - but I'm not sure what to make of this laughing! If you care to know," he said, looking at his friend then shrugging, "It was romantic really.."

Doubtfully, Daniel quirked his brow as he said, "Romantic? On the ramp in front of the gate? Where everyone could see?"

"Agh, yeah. I had no choice. That was where you chose to..."

"Me?" Daniel sounded indignant, like he knew Jack was fudging the truth a little. The older man shrugged.

"You, me.. Who the hell remembers? You'd just sent my five iron through the wormhole.."

"I did WHAT?"

Jack laughed and said; "You should have seen the look on you face when you let go of that club! That's when I stepped up to check your grip.."

Daniel groaned and covered his face as he walked around in a small circle. "I didn't?" He looked at his friend and when he saw his raised brow, he made a strangled noise at the back of his throat then he dipped his face again.

Holding his arms wide, Jack groused, "Okay, so cut me some slack here! You don't think that's romantic?"

Daniel faced him then lifted his eyes towards the ceiling. "Um, no.. no, I agree, that does sound rather.. ugh.. romantic.."

"Beats the kiss I had with Carter hands down too! I just grabbed her, spun her around and planted one on her. When I let her go she unceremoniously dropped to the ground."

Screwing one eye up as he tilted his head to the side, Daniel growled before saying, "Didn't need to know that, actually, thanks Jack."

"I just wanted you to know that with us.. it was.. different. With her it was more of a 'get-it-out-of-my-system' kind of kiss.. but with you.. with you it was different. You just look so damn good in that light, Danny-boy." He shrugged as his only defence as he said, "What can I say? You had the event horizon reflected in those eyes of yours! And the way you were looking at me - like you were almost begging me to kiss you.."

"Begging you?" Daniel questioned dubiously.

Jack flinched with a shrug and said, "Almost."

"So you just - kissed me?"

The gray head bobbed in a nod. "Right there and then! It wasn't a set up - it was slow and gentle and... Well, I've come back to it again, but hey, I'll say it.. it was romantic, Daniel.."

Daniel was quiet now, unable to speak as he listened to Jack's sincerity.

"There was something so wonderfully innocent about it. I wanted it. But I wasn't expecting it. You just kept saying to me, over and over, about how there must be one thing I've always wanted to do that I should do while I could.."

Daniel rolled his eyes and pressed his lips together as he folded his arms over his chest. Jack looked into his bright blue eyes.

"Then when your lips met mine, I kept thinking, 'was this what you were trying to tell me all along?'..."

"You didn't ask me?" Daniel frowned.

"No. Time looped as we kissed. I went from your sweet lips to a bowl of damn froot loops - again! and you were opposite me asking my opinion on a question I still have no idea of what you were talking about.."

Jack rubbed his face and sighed. "I mean, I wanted the kiss to mean something for you. Never got the chance to do it again before we stopped looping, but Danny, I've thought about that kiss.. over and over, believe me!" He said earnestly. "And I came to the conclusion that while I might want more between us, I'd be a nervous wreck every time we stepped through that gate together."

"Jack.."

"No, Danny, please!" He held his hands up. "Believe me.. I've thought about this!"

"It doesn't have to be a bad thing.."

"My job is to look out for you. All of you! But you more than the others.."

"I'm not that innocent!" Daniel told him.

"Don't you see, you are.. to me..?"

"Jesus! Well, get over it then!"

"I can't."

"Jack..!" Daniel gritted his teeth together.

"Daniel, please.."

"No!" The young men reached out and gripped Jack's coat with both his hands. Forcefully, he pulled him towards him and planted a firm kiss on his lips. Jack protested against the mouth but the younger man mumbled back, "Shut up, Jack!"

Giving in, Jack wrapped his arms around the blond head, threading his fingers into the silken hair as he held Daniel to him.

End of part 5

* * *


	6. The Christmas Gift Chapter six

**The Christmas Gift** - **Part 6**

Slowly the grip on Jack's jacket slackened and Daniel pressed his hands against his chest, pushing him back slightly to check to see that he was okay with this. Their soft, panting breaths vaporized between them in a misty cloud as they stared into each other's eyes. When Jack gave no signs of protest anymore, Daniel slipped his hand around to the back of his head and, after a quick look from the mouth to the dark misty pools, he closed the gap between them once more.

Tentative lips met this time, trembling slightly from the cold and the pent up adrenaline that surged through both of them now. Lips, tacky from the cold air outside and warm blood pulsing within them, peeled open slowly as the two men shifted closer together. Daniel's fingers dug into the back of Jack's short hair, holding him where he wanted him to be as he lolled his eyes closed and allowed the sensation of kissing Jack to wash over him. Almost reverently he slipped his tongue into the warm, moist mouth, the feeling of heat surprising him as he bathed in the juices beyond the other man's lips.

Jack's tongue touched his lightly; making Daniel shiver enough to be felt even through the thick coat he was still wearing. The reaction encouraged Jack, giving him the confidence he needed to take this one step further. He wrapped his arms as tightly around him as he could and pulled him closer, both of them moaning softly as they delved deeper into each other's mouth.

Daniel's fingers combed through Jack's hair, tugging him closer as he gripped up the luxurious soft pelt. Suddenly the frames of his glasses pinched his nose and he pulled back abruptly, hearing the sounds of Jack's soft gasps as he gathered his bearings after the rude interruption. Daniel smiled as he reached around him and put his glasses into the top of the boat beside them. Jack took the interval to gather Daniel's face into his hands once more, his smile as bright as the glare off the snow outside.

"Sorry," Daniel murmured as he enjoyed the sensation of Jack's fingers lightly brushing his lips. "My glasses were getting in the way."

"That's okay," Jack told him in a voice just as low and husky, "I needed to breathe anyway." Daniel smiled shyly then dipped his face but Jack brought it up once more and stared directly into his eyes. "And I wanted to say thanks, for starting something I've been wanting to start for ... ages.."

Daniel shrugged then he jostled him within his arms, the thick coats not allowing for much intimacy. "You've got to promise me, you'll stop worrying!"

Jack sighed breathlessly, his lips brushing the full bottom lip of his soon-to-be-lover as he said, "If you keep kissing me like that I'm not going to have any brain cells left with which to worry with anyway!"

Daniel gave a lopsided smile and his laughter puffed into Jack's mouth gently. "I can take care of myself Jack."

"I'll have to learn to trust that.."

"Ah, yeah, trust," Daniel said, pulling back even further so that he could look into Jack's dark eyes.

"Yeah. The big 'T' word! We're so going to have to trust each other and let the other get on with the job as they see fit.."

"Agree. And on that topic, I guess I really should, ugh, well, confess isn't really the right word as I technically didn't do anything.."

"Spit it out, Daniel," Jack tilted his head back even further and looked quickly from Daniel's mouth to his eyes.

Wetting his lips, Daniel said, "I.. ugh.. don't really know how to tell you this Jack, but.." The colonel's brow twitched nervously. "I hold several trophies for Golf.. actually.." Daniel gnawed on his bottom lip and watched the slow dawning of realization creep across Jack's face.

"You what?"

"Club Champion - two years running.." He said, grimacing as he tilted his head to the side slightly.

Jack stared at him in disbelief then he clapped his hand over his eyes making Daniel burst out loudly with laughter.

"You didn't?" He bemoaned.

"Actually-" Daniel groaned as he laughed. "I did - apparently.."

Shaking his head now Jack started to laugh as well. He reached out and cupped Daniel's face in both hands and said, "I don't believe you did that to me!"

"Hey!" Daniel laughed. "I don't believe *I* did that, but it goes to show you, Jack. I'm not as innocent as I look..." He arched his brow on that statement and the gesture peaked Jack's interest.

Stepping against the unyielding body, Jack lowered his voice as he asked, suggestively, "What other areas am I going to find you're no innocent in?"

Holding the intense gaze, Daniel didn't even blink. Slowly he smiled though and Jack rolled his head back and gave a gleeful moan. Before they could say anything more there was a sound outside the boatshed and Susan's voice assailed them from a short distance as she shouted while nearing the boatshed, "Jack! Dad told me to tell you that you had better not have a beer bottle in your hands when I get in there!"

The two men looked at each other momentarily then around to see how they could put a little distance between them. Before Daniel could even think to head to the other end of the room, passing the door and hoping to make it before Susan entered the shed, Jack had leapt up, grabbing the metal rafters for the roofing. He quickly made his way to the other side of the shed then dropped to the ground - thereby putting the whole rowboat between himself and Daniel - just at the moment that the door opened with a loud scrape.

Susan stood in the doorway, her face flushed from the cold outside, and vapors poured from her mouth. She looked at Daniel, standing on one side of the boatshed opening then at Jack, who was casually leaning against the other side of the opening.

"You tell Dad that I didn't have a bottle in my hand when you came in here!" Jack said, triumphantly, then he looked at Daniel and said, "and neither does Danny." The anthropologist lifted his brow at the juvenile name but he made no other comment as he turned to look at Susan. She laughed as she shut the door and stepped into the darkening room further.

"Aw, I think he was just joking," she dismissed it. Jack quirked his brow then shot a quick look over at Daniel. On the faces of both men was the truth. Jon had made her call that out to announce her arrival - to do exactly what it did do - give them time to break apart before being discovered. Daniel rolled his eyes at Jack and in response, the older man screwed his nose up as he gave a little 'I know!' shrug.

"So what are you two doing down here..?"

"Drinking Dad's beer," Jack said flippantly and when Susan didn't look like she believed him, he pointed to the two chairs and the bottles beneath them. His sister laughed heartily.

"Oh, boy! Doesn't Dad know you well then!"

Jack's eyes met Daniel's once more then he smirked as he said, "Better than I'd ever have imagined!"

Susan, happy with that answer, rounded the boat and went to her brother's side. Slipping her arms around him, she leaned her chin onto his shoulder, as she said, "Isn't it a beautiful sunset?"

Jack looked straight past her to the slightly flushed face on the other landing. He gave a small smile as he said, "Yes. It is."

Daniel smiled and bowed his head, bringing his hand up to quickly adjust his glasses, which were now back in place.

Susan sighed and squeezed Jack's waist. "Come inside. The two of you! We're missing you!"

Jack quirked his head in question and Daniel gave a reluctant nod in response. Stopping to pick up their beer, the two men walked either side of Susan as they made their way around the lake and back to the cabin.

*

When the three of them returned to the cabin Claude called to them, "Hey, were you two trying to duck the dishes?"

Jack threw his arms wide and shrugged. "Ya got me! That's exactly what we were doing. Wasn't it, Daniel!"

"Agh.. yeah," Daniel said hesitantly. Jack frowned at him and a small smile crept over Daniel's face. "Well, that and stealing your Dad's beer!"

The family laughed uproariously as Jack's mouth fell open. "Daniel!" He said in a pretend groan. "You're not meant to tell them that!"

"Oops," Daniel said, going along with the joke, "Sorry!"

Jon walked up to Jack and stood chest to chest with his son. "What's this about you stealing my beer?"

Jack lifted his chin, meeting the older man eye to eye. "I did. I stole your beer and it was the best damn beer I've ever tasted. Isn't that right, Daniel?"

"I wouldn't know," Daniel said, and then shrugged when Jack and Jon looked at him. "How would I know if it was the best beer you've ever tasted...?"

A wry smile tugged Jack's lips now as he said, purposefully, "Believe me, it was!"

Daniel wanted to smile but instead he shrugged nonchalantly. "That's good to know," he said then tilted his face to look at Jon, "Isn't it?"

The older O'Neill looked between the two of them then threw his hands in the air. "How would I know? Every time I go down there to drink it, it's gone!"

Jack laughed and patted his father's shoulder. "Trust me on this one, Dad," he said before moving into the kitchen to assist with the washing up. Daniel followed him through, pushing the sleeves of his sweater up his forearms as he went. Susan tossed a cloth to dry the dishes with at Daniel as she said, "You can both take over from here!" At the same time, Claude turned and passed the scrubbing brush to his brother.

"Yeah. That's fair. You two can finish up."

"What ever happen to making the kids do it?" Jack grumbled as he started rolling the sleeves of his sweater up to past his elbows.

Claude patted Jack's shoulder and said, with a laugh, "We grew up."

"Stop your grumbling. Most of the really dirty ones are done. You've got mostly cutlery!"

"I hate cutlery," Jack groused as he refilled the sink with fresh hot water.

"We know," Susan and Claude both said at the same time, laughing at an old family joke. Jack shot them a playful glare before dunking the copious amount of cutlery into the foaming water. Susan went across to pour herself another coffee while Claude headed straight on into the family room. Before leaving, Susan glanced across at her brother and his friend. "When you're done, we thought we might play a game of Pictionary."

"Pictionary?" Daniel said, sounding a little uncomfortable at the thought of participating in the game. "The game where you have to .. draw..?"

"Great well, I want Danny on my team!" Jack said instantly, not hearing his friend's weak protests beside him.

Susan smiled at the younger man, "Of course! We've already divvied up the teams anyway. Bill and me, Dad and Claude and you and Daniel."

"Good!" Jack said. "Cos Daniel's a linguist, did I tell you that?" He gloated as all his sibling competitiveness began to rise within him once more.

Susan rolled her eyes. "No! I did 'not' know that!"

With a cocky grin on his face, Jack said, "Hah! See!"

Susan patted his shoulder before turning and walking out of the kitchen. Jon looked up to watch her enter the room and then allowed his eyes to drift through the opened kitchen door to where Jack and Daniel stood by the sink. He watched as Daniel leaned in closer to Jack and said something. Jack's head snapped around to look at him then he waved a sudsy hand in the air, obviously not happy with the news he'd just heard. Daniel pulled back laughing. It was the first time Jon had really seen him laugh and he automatically smiled as he watched them.

Daniel, nose crinkled with his laughter shook his head as he said, "I'm sorry Jack. I might be a linguist but I really am hopeless at drawing."

"Sheesh!" Jack said, returning his hand to the warm sudsy water. "Don't you have to draw in your field of work?"

"Sure, so if I do every answer in Egyptian hieroglyphs, we'll be fine.." Daniel said through a throaty chuckle.

Jack's head was bowed as a grin spread across his face. "We'll be fine anyway," he said, lifting his face and gazing over the smiling man beside him. "We're going to make a great team."

Daniel's smile softened, his eyes growing a little darker as he carefully scanned his gaze across Jack's face. "We already do, Jack."

Jon was still watching them and felt a hot prickle run up his back as he saw Daniel's head tilt towards Jack, and the smile on his face change slightly. Suddenly, whatever Jack had said made the boy blush because Daniel lowered his face and turned slightly away, placing a plate on the island cupboard before turning back towards Jack. Jon now lowered his eyes, realizing that something's shouldn't be watched.

As he turned towards the rest of his family he realized Susan asked, "What's up?"

"What?" He frowned.

"You've got a goofy smile on your face," she said, plopping herself into the seat beside him.

"I do?" He was genuinely surprised.

She frowned quickly then smiled as she nodded. "Yeah, you do."

"Maybe, I'm just happy, my girl!" He wrapped his arms around her and squeezed her tightly.

"Good!" She said, patting his arms across her chest. "When are those two going to be finished in there?" She craned her neck to look into the kitchen.

Jokingly he wrestled her as he growled, "Oh, let them be!"

*

"So do you want to leave first thing in the morning?" Jack asked, wiping his hands dry on the hand towel. Daniel was placing the last plate onto the stack on the island bench.

"When's the flight?"

"Fourteen hundred."

"So why do we need to leave first thing?" Daniel frowned. Jack held his gaze and shrugged then the younger man lowered his face and said, "Oh," quietly.

"Or we could stay until lunch with the family then leave about twelve?"

"Or, you could call and change the flight time?" Daniel suggested, slowly blinking.

Nodding, Jack said, "Or, I could call and change the flight time. I think there's one at ten?"

"I think that's a great time to fly home. We'll be home earlier... Unpacked earlier..."

"In bed earlier," Jack whispered, reaching for the phone on the wall.

"You're a little sure of yourself there, Jack." Daniel said, folding his arms across his chest. The older man looked him up and down then held the intense gaze as he quickly changed their tickets for the earlier flight. As he hung up the phone, he stepped up to his friend and looked him straight in the eye. "This just begs the question now.."

Sounding a little breathless, Daniel asked, "What's that?"

"Your bed .. or mine..?"

Daniel closed his eyes slowly and lowered his face, bringing his hand up to touch the bridge of his glasses. "Whose is bigger?" He asked quietly.

The other man's brows arched high. "Are we still talking beds here, Danny?"

Blushing and chuckling slightly, Daniel muttered quietly, "oh, god, I hope so..."

"Hey!" Susan appeared in the doorway and flung her hand over her head, summoning the two of them into the living room. Jack held his hand out and Daniel silently obeyed the order, wishing he could be anywhere else right now!

*

After a few rounds Jack and Daniel were losing terribly.

"What the hell is that meant to be, Jackson?" Jack sighed as he pointed to a squiggle on the paper.

"It's meant to be a dog, Jack!" Daniel said patiently and tried to ignore the hoots of laughter around him.

"A dog?" Jack said flatly. "Where's its tail?"

"Tail?" Daniel tilted his head as he swung the sketch around to face him. "There!" He pointed to a faint line.

"THAT'S a tail?" Jack asked skeptically.

"Oh give the boy a break, Jack! It's a good dog.." Jon hollered over the laughter.

"What the hell is that?" Jack held up the picture to the others. "How the heck is it meant to be a damn dog!"

"Oh I see it!" Amy cried out from where she was sitting on a chair by the window reading. She got up and ran around the sofa to Jack's side where she promptly started naming parts of the dog. "See! Tail, head, legs and... what's that?" She looked at Daniel.

He frowned and studied the picture then blinked as he adjusted his glasses. "I think that's his back leg."

"No, that's his back leg, isn't it?" She asked hopefully.

"No, that's just where my pencil slipped. That's his back leg!" Daniel pointed to an odd shaped line. Amy gave him a strange look then half-heartedly laughed as she got back up to her feet.

"O-kay.." She said, moving away in long, sideways steps, making everyone laugh again. Jack couldn't help himself, he was laughing with the rest of them. Daniel just looked so damn cute with his pink cheeks and red ears!

"Don't worry Daniel," Julian offered from where he laid on the beanbag. "No matter who Uncle Jack plays with, he always loses."

Daniel looked at the youth gratefully and smiled. "Thank you." He said, and then shot Jack a dirty look. "So it's not my lack of drawing skills, but rather your lack of lateral thinking that's letting this team down?"

Again the room erupted in laughter.

"Hey!" Jack said, trying to sound indignant. "I can laterally think with the best of them!"

Daniel rolled his eyes then pointed to the dice on the board. "Whose turn is it?" He muttered, shooting Jack sideways glances and trying to stave off his own laughter.

*

Susan raised her hands above her head and triumphantly punched the air. "We won!"

"You weren't working with a handicap!" Jack grumbled under his breath. Daniel looked at him while the others all laughed.

"Come on Jack. Your lack of ability to see what's right in front of you is annoying at times, but I wouldn't go so far as to call it a handicap."

Susan cackled with laughter as she clapped her hands together. Claude grinned at his brother.

"He's got your number, Jacko!"

The colonel grumbled. "Yeah, and about twenty more push-ups during training next week!"

"Oh no fair!" Daniel laughed, bowing his head as he removed his glasses. "Using rank against me!" He lifted his eyes and peered out from under golden lashes as he blinked rapidly.

Jack looked and was suddenly stunned by the unshielded, bright blue eyes staring at him. Opening his mouth like a guppy he took a moment before saying, "yeah, sure, ya betcha!"

Daniel smiled sweetly and replaced his glasses. His trick had had the right affect on the older man.

Jon yawned loudly then stretched. "Well, I'll be calling this one!" He said, rising from his place on the sofa.

Jack tilted his face up to look at him as he said, "Our flight's been changed. We have to go first thing in the morning."

The patriarch frowned and turned to look at Daniel. "When did this happen?"

Jack answered with a shrug as he said, "Earlier. We're booked on the ten-hundred flight. We'll be leaving around eight."

There was a definite sigh of disappointment around the room and the two men looked at each other, suddenly both feeling like heels for being too eager to be alone.

"Well in case I don't see you in the morning!" Amy said, throwing herself into Jack's arms. The colonel caught her and returned the hug. The rest of the family milled around him to give him a hug, and in Susan's case, a kiss on the cheek. The men shook Daniel's hand and the teenagers bided him a goodbye but Susan also reached over and kissed his hot cheek lightly. Even surrounded by the other people Daniel was acutely aware that Jack had left the room, following his father into the den once more.

PART 6b

"So you're off home tomorrow morning?" Jon asked, stepping behind the high backed leather chair and picking up a book from the shelf at the back of the room.

"Yeah. We've decided to head back a little earlier. Daniel's got fish..."

"And a few hours will make all the difference, to the fish," the older man said, sitting at the desk with the book in front of him.

Scratching his brow, Jack shrugged. "Will for Daniel."

Jon nodded. "So, things are still alright between the two of you? You didn't seem to talk a lot this morning."

"I think he just felt a little awkward, you know. Being the guest at Christmas time."

"So, if he's nothing more than your best friend, Jack, why did he spend this holiday with you here?"

"He's got no one else. He was orphaned at 8 so he's grown up pretty much alone. His wife died recently..."

"I didn't realize he'd been married."

Jack shrugged but said nothing.

"But then, so were you - once upon a time.."

With a soft sigh Jack mumbled something beneath his breath that Jon couldn't hear then shrugged.

"What was that?" Jon asked.

"I said, yes I was... once."

Jon nodded then squinted his eyes as he looked up at his son before him, patiently waiting for something. Finally Jack sighed and said, "Well, I just wanted to say thanks. It's been a good weekend and I think Mom would have been proud of us all."

Jon nodded, lowering his gaze to his hands clasped on the table. "Yeah, she would have."

Jack rolled his eyes when the conversation grounded to a halt again then said, "Well, I should really ..." He said, pointing over his shoulder as he stepped back towards the door.

Jon nodded then asked, as Jack turned to open the door. "You just can't say it, can you?"

"Say what?" Jack frowned as he looked at his father.

Lifting his head, Jon stared right into his son's brown eyes. "That I was right. About you and him."

Dropping his head back Jack shifted his footing and stood with his hands on his hips.

"I saw you two in the kitchen Jack. If you can't see it in his eyes, then for Christ's sake, take an old man's word for it. It's in there -" He pointed to Jack's eyes then towards the living room - "and in his as well.."

Jack flung his arms around his head as he said, tetchily, "Okay! For crying out loud! YES!"

Jon shut up immediately. "YES!" Jack said again, laboring the point. "Yes, Daniel and I did 'discuss' things this weekend."

The other man's face softened into a sly smile. "So sending your sister down there with that message 'was' a good idea?" he said, his eyes twinkling now.

Jack bowed slightly, placing his hand on his heart. "Yes, it was - thank you!"

Holding his hand up in front of his face Jon added, "I don't want to know what she would have walked in on..."

"That's okay, Dad, I don't want to tell you.."

Jon lowered his hand slowly as he held his son's gaze. "Oh. Well, good."

Jack smiled then jutted his head towards the door. "I really should get some sleep. It's late."

Jon rose from his chair and went to his son. "Merry Christmas, Jack." He said, holding his arms wide and hugging Jack to him.

"Yes, Dad, it was. Merry Christmas!"

Jon pulled back, cupping the rugged face in his hands. ""No doubt I'll see you in the morning, but just in case!" He pulled him into another hug, which Jack returned heartily.

*

Jack quietly closed the door behind him as he exited the study. Turning he saw Daniel, standing by the fire, waiting for him.

"Everything okay?" The younger man asked cautiously. Jack shoved his hands into his pant's pockets and lifted his chin slightly.

"Yeah, think so."

Daniel smiled timorously then rolled his eyes. "Now what?"

The older man bit his lips together then suggested, "Wanna see the moonlight?"

A smile crept across Daniel's face. "Think we should?"

Jack shrugged then waved his hand in the air. "Why not?" He said as he headed towards the back door. "It's a beautiful night.."

Daniel followed him then questioned the sensibility of it as he tugged his boots on once more.

"Relax Danny," Jack said, patting him on the shoulder. "Everyone's asleep."

The blond man quickly glanced back towards the empty living room then he turned to look at Jack again.

"'Kay," he muttered. Jack winked then zipped up his jacket before opening the front door.

*

As promised, it was a beautiful night. Daniel marveled at how blue the snow looked in the moonlight as they crossed back towards the small boathouse. Jack shoved the door open and then scraped it close behind them as Daniel stepped into the shed. He took two steps from Jack before turning around to look at him. He placed his hand on the back of one of the wooden chairs they'd been sitting in earlier than as Jack took a step towards him he wordlessly passed over the chair to him. Jack frowned momentarily then took the chair and used it to jam against the door, preventing it from being opened. Turning around, he saw, in the reflection of moonlight on the water outside, that Daniel had approved of what he'd just done.

Stepping closer to him the colonel looked a little shy before reaching up and cupping the blond head in his gloved hands. Daniel stepped closer to him and they both carefully watched the other as they pulled together for a long, tender kiss. Their dry lips peeled apart slowly as Jack stepped back.

"That still .. seems strange."

"Well, get used to it, Jack. I *like* kissing.." Now it was Daniel who seemed a little shy as he adjusted his glasses slightly.

"You do?" The older man asked as he moved in front of him and went to the fridge. Bending to reach the beer inside Jack suddenly straightened up when he felt a hand glide over his rump.

"Amongst other things," Daniel told him, turning to lean back against the workbench.

Jack gave him a wry look then nodded as he passed over a can of beer. "So I see." Cracking his can open Jack held it up and waited for Daniel to tap his can against it. "Here's to your dog!" Jack mumbled and Daniel spat out the mouthful of beer he'd just swigged.

Wiping his gloved finger across his lips, Daniel said, "I told you I was lousy at drawing!"

Jack shrugged then passed his can to his friend before going to the cupboard in the corner. He unlocked the door then withdrew an armful of blankets. Crossing to the boat he flicked each of them out then laid three into the boat. Rolling up one for a pillow he stepped carefully into the boat. Daniel frowned as he watched him then he saw Jack beckon him into the rocking vessel.

"We're not going out in this boat though, are we?" He asked hesitantly then bit his bottom lip as he frowned.

Jack raised his brow then saw the steadfast look in Daniel's eyes. "For crying out loud! No, we are not going out in this damn boat. Now just get in, will ya!"

The younger man held his hand out and Jack sighed and took hold of it, thinking he wanted a hand into the boat. Daniel laughed.

"No Jack, just take your damn beer!"

"Oh!" He nodded and took the can from him.

Daniel carefully stepped down into the swaying boat. "Now what?" He asked.

Jack gave him a somewhat cocky look as he settled himself onto the blankets on the floor of the rowboat. Daniel frowned but also lowered himself to the floor of the boat, and then he waited patiently while Jack made himself comfortable. As soon as he was, Jack held his arm out and Daniel cuddled into the side of him as best he could.

With a gloved hand caressing the short, blond hair, Jack sighed contentedly as he sipped his beer. Daniel pressed his cheek against the thick jacket his partner was wearing and then he sat up slightly, twisted, and retrieved the blankets that Jack had left on the edge of the deck. Shaking them out once more, he laid them across the two of them as he settled back against Jack's body. Frost vapors poured from the younger man's mouth as he said, "Why do I get the feeling you've done this before?"

"Ah," Jack said, then laughed softly.

Daniel rubbed his chin against the warm jacket and mumbled, "Forget it. I don't want to know."

"Oh, come on.." Jack chuckled. "It was with Sara.."

"Jack," Daniel said, actually sounding a little jealous.

"You're the only man I've done this with.." He said then watched as Daniel lifted his face to look at him. Growing serious, he said, "If that makes you feel any better?"

Daniel's gaze shifted between the dark eyes then he pressed his feet against the floor of the boat to shift himself up closer to Jack's face. He kissed his mouth lightly then pulled back. "I'm sorry."

"No," Jack whispered as his eyes searched the face so close to his. "I'm sorry. I'm still not defined on our edges yet. Stuff I would have told you as a friend.. well, some of it's not appropriate anymore, is it?"

"And some of it's more appropriate now," Daniel said, adjusting his arm to gather Jack closer. "Just not the past lovers." He reached for his beer then downed a mouthful before reaching across Jack and putting it down once more, followed by his glasses.

Jack went back to caressing the blond hair, including the small, lobeless ear. Daniel purred quietly at the stroking and them mumbled, "Keep doing that and I'll fall asleep."

"Ah, got one of your 'things', have I?" Jack grinned as he shifted his chin to look down at the top of Daniel's head.

Daniel snuggled against the chest then growled deeply, "Yes, most definitely."

They laid in quiet until Jack pressed his lips against the top of Daniel's head and said into the soft hair, "I'm looking forward to that."

"What?" Daniel asked sleepily.

"Finding out what turns you on-"

There was a pregnant pause then Daniel lifted his head and looked down at Jack. He bit his glove to pull it from his hand, and then, spitting it out, he touched Jack's cold cheek with his still-warm fingers. Jack lay there, looking a little concerned as Daniel concentrated on his intimate exploration of his face; a gentle smile on his lips.

"Everything about you does that, Jack."

With a low groan at the back of his throat, Jack raised his hand to brush his fingers through his hair. Tucking the hand under his head he smiled and Daniel returned it. With his other hand, the older man gripped the tag on the zipper of Daniel's jacket. He tugged it open slowly, then reached up and planted a soft kiss on Daniel's throat. Daniel gasped softly.

"You're so warm," Jack purred quietly.

"You're so cold," he returned with a slight laugh.

Jack pressed his lips against the cooling skin, this time rubbing his warm tongue onto the silken surface. Daniel moaned again and Jack knew it wasn't because of his cold nose. The younger man shifted his legs up Jack's legs, and then wrapped his booted foot around the limbs to pull Jack closer to him. Jack's tongue pressed more firmly against the warm throat, shifting down as he lowered the zipper to midway down Daniel's chest, ever aware that he didn't want to expose him too much to the cold night air.

After tugging his own glove off, Jack reached his hand in past the metal teeth and gripped the collar of Daniel's sweater. Pulling it aside he delved further down the younger man's throat and onto the top of his chest.

"Jack," Daniel hissed as his hands gripped the gray head firmly. Jack pulled his face away and rolled Daniel onto his back carefully so that he could thread his hand up inside the jacket and sweater and over the goose-fleshed skin to find a hardened nipple.

"Cold?' Jack asked.

"Turned on," Daniel hissed. Jack smiled then kissed the partially opened mouth quickly then as he pulled back he extracted his hand from the sweater.

Daniel wrapped his hand behind Jack's head and pulled him down once more. Their tongues bashed together, gently but firmly, throughout the long, languid kiss. Eventually Jack pulled back and almost lost sight of Daniel as the vapors pouring from both men's mouths clouded the air between them. Jack cupped the side of Daniel's head, his thumb brushing the little ear firmly. He smiled at the redness of Daniel's nose - partly from cold, partly from the pressure of both their faces pushed tightly together throughout the kiss. Shifting he cuddled against the side of Daniel and then tugged the blankets up to under his chin. Daniel grinned up at him then combed his fingertips through the slight fringe over Jack's eyes.

"If I promise to keep this blanket up here, can I undo you top some more?" Jack asked. Daniel blinked silently then he moved his hand and unzipped his top. Jack kept his word and made sure the blanket remained over them but he shifted so that he could see Daniel's chest now. The younger man unfastened the jacket completely and it fell open, revealing the pale blue sweater.

Jack twisted around, looking for something. Quickly he found it and turned back. In his hand was an oar. Daniel feared, for a split second, that Jack was about to push them out into the river, but instead Jack wedged the oar into the boat so that it formed some makeshift pole and then he draped the blankets over it like a woolen tent. Daniel's mouth parted slightly, like he was about to say something when Jack tapped his fingers onto the parted lips.

"Hold that thought!" He clambered out of the boat, grabbed two more beers then an oil lamp from the corner before returning. He lit the lamp, setting them in a warm yellow glow. Tugging the blankets up further he ensured they remained relatively well protected from the cold. Flexing his fingers, much like a professional pianist would before an important concert, Jack ventured his hand under the pale blue sweater once more.

Daniel's body arched to the touch. He squirmed as Jack found a nipple and worked it until it stood hard against his otherwise soft, silken skin. He kept his eyes on Jack's face, letting the image of his unguarded smile etch itself onto his brain. When the brown eyes ventured to look at him, Daniel felt his insides melt. He reached his hand up to cup Jack's cheek then he pulled him closer, bringing him down to where their lips could touch once again.

Instead of kissing though, Daniel licked Jack's slightly parted mouth. The colonel responded by getting in closer and Daniel licked him again. Jack's fingers tightened onto the nub, his nails digging into the hardened flesh. His reward was another lick, more tenacious than the others. This was quickly followed by a light nip on his lips then another lick. Jack's fingers curled and scraped down Daniel's smooth chest, onto his softened abdomen and collided with the tops of his pants. All the while Daniel licked, sucked then nipped at his mouth. The nails continued down the lean body and scraped across the cloth of the pants, making a sound like tearing, as they scratched up faint lines across the dark material. Daniel moaned and captured Jack's mouth a little more firmly between his teeth. As the fingers rode up the rise then over it Daniel plunged his tongue deep into Jack's mouth, rewarding him with a fierce kiss.

"Oh God, Jack," He pleaded desperately as Jack's fingers played over the covered shaft.

"Can I take it.." /out?/

"YES!" Daniel hissed then gripped Jack's head hard as he filled his mouth with his tongue once more. Jack's hands fumbled with the zipper and belt, not aided in any way by Daniel's wanton gyrating. He kept losing purchase on the material but he was soon done, and he returned his thoughts to the pillaging tongue duelling with his own and left his hands to instinctually peel the jeans back and release the hard cock inside.

As his hand clasped around the thick, uncircumcized shaft Jack whispered, "This is wrong.." against the hungry mouth.

Daniel's head lolled off the makeshift pillow to try to allow him to focus on the man beside him. "Huh?"

Jack looked at him. "You're still fully dressed. I'm still.."

"Jack!" Daniel warned, clenching his teeth and forcing a dimple to appear on his cheek.

"I just.. Do we want to rush this?" The older man asked earnestly.

Daniel slapped his hand over his face and mumbled something into his palm.

"What was that?" Jack asked, tilting his head in an effort to hear more easily.

"I said, we've known each other four years now - how's this rushing things?"

"Not like this we haven't," Jack argued.

"Oh, Please!" Daniel snorted and screwed his eyes shut tightly as the hand continued to hold but not pump him - the suspense was torturing Daniel. "Yes, okay? I wanted to rush this!" He lifted his hips, sliding his cock within the firm grasp to press home his point. With a moan he dropped his ass to the floor of the boat again, creating another wave of sensation through his groin. He stared up at Jack with a heated gaze. "Rush this!"

Slightly stunned by the licentious behavior of his usually 'meek' friend. He felt an overwhelming desire to fulfil every one of Daniel's sexual wants - starting with this one. He clasped his mouth forcefully over his mates and their tongues pressed and slipped together as Jack slowly pumped the rigid shaft in his hand.

Abandoning the mouthful in favor of air, Jack shifted his position so that Daniel was lying across his lap. Clasping his other hand around the cock now, he changed hands, shaking out his fingers of the fatigued hand while Daniel squirmed across him.

"Let me touch you," Daniel whispered. Jack dropped the dick and started grappling with his own pants, soon exposing his own hardened shaft to the cold night air.

"Oh Jesus!" he hissed at the coldness.

"Invigorating, isn't it?" Daniel smirked as he curled his fingers around Jack's cock - which, he noted, was wider and shorter than his own. He placed his hands on Jack's rump and guided him closer.

Jack moaned loudly as Daniel's mouth engulfed him. "Oh God Jesus baby.." the older man moaned as he felt the warm moistness of Daniel's mouth surround his chilled shaft.

Daniel pulled back and touched his fingers to the small tuft of curls visible through the otherwise fastened jeans. It was an absurd thing – being here, with Jack O'Neill, a man he'd coveted for a year and was now finally consummating his passion for in the middle of Christmas night on a frozen lake somewhere near Minnesota. He looked up and saw the bulk of the body, still heavily shrouded in coat and jeans, then he returned his attention to the cock that jutted from the partly opened pants.

Rubbing his nose against the rosy tip he sighed and said, "Do you want me to get you off?"

Jack closed his eyes at the quietly bidded question. How could he possibly be this close to Daniel and NOT want him to get him off? He lowered his face and stared down into the unshielded eyes. "Yes."

Daniel smiled then parted his lips, licking at the tip of the cock while holding Jack's intense stare. "Baby.." Jack hissed as he cupped the back of Daniel's head.

With a quick scrunch of his nose and a grab at Jack's ass, Daniel swallowed the firm, fat rod deep to the back of his throat. Jack's cry seemed to echo off the water as he felt the heat surround his tip. Lost in the incredible sensation Jack began to climax, realizing that he'd let his thoughts go, let himself get swept away by the magnificent head job and hadn't concentrated on his partner at all. He tried to back-peddle, tried to stall the shivers that coursed through his body now, but it was too late. His fingers gripped the short hair and dug into the scalp as he grunted and thrust, spilling his load down into the sweet cavern that had seduced him. With a loud groan of contentment Jack collapsed onto his butt then grimaced as he tucked his flaccid shaft away from the sharpness of the metal teeth. Once he was safely away he turned his attention to his awaiting partner.

"You shouldn't have done that," he growled without sounding serious. He crawled onto his knees again and rubbed his face against the wilting shaft, bringing it to full attention once more. Daniel sighed and gripped the edge of the boat in one hand as he combed his fingers through Jack's hair.

"You're delicious!" Daniel declared. Jack looked up at him, brushing his chin over the slightly covered tip of the uncircumcised penis. With a laconic arch of his brow he tilted his face forward and kissed the hidden head. His hand came around, gripping the solid column in his fist and brushing his thumb up the side of it, feeling the veins with the pad on his thumb. Daniel moaned softly as Jack caressed him with his thumb and then slid the foreskin down, revealing the moist head. He inhaled deeply then sighed and reached down to lick the tip, tasting Daniel for the first time.

"Manna from heaven!" He sighed. Tilting his face he slid his lips up the side of the strengthening shaft harmonica style then, when he reached the top, he closed his lips around the tip then slowly, oh-so-slowly, lowered his head to take the shaft all the way to the back of his throat. Daniel squirmed, his feet kicking out from beneath him as he tried to thrust into Jack's mouth. The older man placed one hand at the base of Daniel's cock, pushing him back down onto the rug again.

"Oh, please.. Jack.." Daniel's words sizzled on his lips but the begging did not increase his partner's actions. Daniel thought that Jack would never bring him to the brink with such a slow tease, but he was wrong. Soon, much sooner than he'd ever expected, the older man lifted his lips away from the tender head and then released his tight grip on the base of the shaft, that Daniel hadn't even noticed, and as soon as he slipped his mouth down once more, Daniel came and, upon tasting the first drop Jack pulled his face back, allowing the sweet cream to fountain in the air, which Jack then intercepted with his face, mouth and tongue enjoying watching Daniel come down from the intense orgasm as he shivered and melted into the bottom of the boat, totally boneless. Jack licked his lips, tasting the bittersweet taste of his lover then he reached over and wiped his face on the corner of the blanket they laid on.

He took the time to carefully fold Daniel back into his pants and fasten him up, then he pulled the blankets over them to keep out the cold. He cuddled against the side of his new lover and smiled at the dopey look on Daniel's face.

"See, and you thought I didn't have a Christmas gift for you!"

Daniel snorted softly then shifted to get more comfortable.

"Ah uh!" Jack said, rolling the sleepy face back towards him. "Don't fall asleep on me Danny. We have to go back inside."

"No, I wanna stay out here,' Daniel murmured tiredly.

"I want nothing more than to fall asleep with you in my arms, but not here. We'll freeze our nuts off out here," Jack got to his feet then stepped out of the boat. Holding his hand down to Daniel he said, "I don't think either of us wants that – not at the start of something so beautiful!"

Daniel smiled, despite his sleepiness, and he climbed out of the boat, a lot less gracefully than Jack had. Wrapping his arms across Daniel's shoulders He escorted him back to the cabin, taking the opportunity to kiss the side of Daniel's face every few steps then stopping him, part way to the house, when Daniel worried if anyone could see them. Jack had gripped him by the thick-coated shoulders, turned him to face him then pulled him in for a passionate kiss. As they started back towards the house Jack told him he just wanted to give them a good show – if anyone was watching!

End of part 6 

* * *


	7. The Christmas Gift Chapter seven

**The Christmas Gift** - **Part 7**

The flight home wasn't as bad for Daniel, and Jack guessed that was because throughout the trip they'd held hands, surreptitiously under Daniel's jacket that laid across his lap and partly across Jack's. Even the heavens were good to Daniel, and there was very little turbulence to cause the young man to grip Jack's hand in a deathlike grip. They spoke non-stop, about anything and everything, and exchanged many meaningful looks and secret smiles. Before Daniel knew it they were being asked to fasten their seatbelts.

On the ride home Daniel worried bout Hammond and what might happen if the General ever found out about the relationship and Jack told him not to worry because they'd never be so stupid to be caught doing anything untoward on the Base. If they were seen off base in compromising situations then, Jack told him, to hell with them. Everyone, Jack reminded his blue-eyed lover, was entitled to a 'private' life!

Once inside Jack's house the atmosphere tensed up again. Jack made a beeline for the only sanctity he could - the kitchen and the coffee maker. Daniel took equal refuge in the lighting of the fire in the living room while snow curled in the currents of the winds outside the windows.

*

Jack returned to his living room, carrying two cups of steaming hot chocolate. Daniel was lighting the only candle on the mantel and, on hearing the boots on the wooden steps, he turned towards Jack. Standing there he watched the careful way Jack carried the mugs across the carpet then feeling the heat from the match that was still alight, he shook his hand, extinguishing the flame immediately. Tossing the charred stick into the fireplace he sucked on his burnt fingertips.

"You okay?" Jack asked, passing him a cup and watching him blowing on his fingers through puckered lips

"I'll live," Daniel said flicking his fingers then he cradled the bottom of his cup with his hand.

"It's hot," he said as he nodded towards the drink. Daniel blew across the frothy surface before taking his first tentative sip. He always thought Jack made the best hot chocolate, but today it tasted even better. The older man looked at the snow drifting down outside. "You know, I think it's just as well we did come back early. Much more of this and the airport would be shut down."

"And we'd have been stranded with your family until New Year's Eve."

The colonel shivered and put his cup on the mantel before gripping the front of Daniel's blue plaid shirt. "Could you imagine anything worse?" Leaning in, he kissed the younger man's throat softly in small pecks, and then he arched back so that he could see his companion once more. His brow arced as he queried the look on Daniel's face.

"Well, yes - I can," the anthropologist told him.

"Okay, so having a Goa'uld come to dinner might be worse, but.." - Jack's hands slipped around to the rounded rump, which he cupped lightly - "Only just!"

"Your family isn't that bad." Daniel said, turning his face away so that he could take another, larger sip of his drink. His tongue came out to lick up any cream off his top lip but Jack was still smirking at him. "What?"

"Missed a bit," the older man told him, brushing his thumb across the soft lip then he sucked the white froth from his thumb. Daniel gently cupped the back of his head with his free hand and slowly pulled closer to him, stepping his body against Jack's and rubbing their groins together in the process. Their lips bounced lightly together, then they both widened their jaws and passionately delved deeply into the other's sweet, chocolate-flavored mouth.

Pulling back slightly, Jack forced his kiss-drunk eyes to open and smiled at the glazed blue ones. "Besides this has got to be better than spending time with them. Playing Pictionary.."

Daniel chuckled at that last comment. "Oh," he said teasingly, "Only just."

Jack silenced his irreverent lover with a series of soft, tender kisses; lips often pulled tight into a sarcastic sneer were now full, soft and supple against Daniel's mouth. A tongue, known for its verbal wit and 'sharpness', was now only teasing at the inside of Daniel's lips; dodging and retreating, never giving the softly moaning man an opportunity to latch onto it.

As they kissed their bodies swayed together, like a dance without music. Without once breaking the tenderness Jack edged Daniel back towards the fireplace. Then his fingers danced over Daniel's shoulder, down his throat and then across his chest and onto his stomach, blindly searching for the cup in his lover's hand. Once he'd located it, he cracked an eye open and placed the cup onto the mantel behind Daniel, out of harm's way.

The newly freed hand slipped up Jack's arm over his shoulder then down his back, where it gathered up the back of the sweater to grip Jack closer. Now their chests, as well as their groins, were able to rub together during their intimate, silent dance. As their bodies melded together their kiss intensified ten-fold; tongues now slipping across each other's again as low, lustful moans escaped them both. Daniel's other hand, that was cupping Jack's head, started to rake through the short, gray hair, as they grew more earnest in their oral assault. Suddenly they both pulled back at the same time, almost sensing the need in the other to gasp for air. They both wore kiss-drunk expressions now as they kissed each other's face all over, anywhere their lips could reach.

Daniel rubbed his cheek against Jack's as he sighed lustfully. "God, I'm so hard!"

"You too, huh?" Jack breathed heavily into the lobeless ear by his mouth. Then he lowered his gaze to the bulge within his lover's pants. "Oh, so I see!"

Daniel grinned lopsidedly then gripped Jack's own engorged groin and said, "I'm not standing alone here, Colonel!"

A grin filled Jack's face that under normal circumstances might have been construed as arrogant. "Colonel?"

Daniel hungrily kissed and sucked along Jack's jaw line - from his chin to his ear. His tongue delved within the folds, making Jack squirm and causing Daniel to chuckle deeply. With his lips barely brushing the surface of the wet ear he whispered, in a softer than soft voice, "Colonel!"

"Whoa, shit but you make that sound sexy!" Jack said gripping his attentive lover's face and pulling him back to look into the dazed eyes.

"You are!" Daniel said, eyes raging with desire. Jack forcefully kissed him, roughly -almost brutally - then he yanked him back to stare at the flushed face once more.

Shaking his head, the older man muttered, "God, what I want to do to you!" He smeared his fingers over Daniel's pliable lips and groaned as the pink tongue swiped between his fingers, captured them within its curl and then sucked them into the wet, waiting mouth. Gripping the back of the blond head by a fistful of hair, Jack covered his mouth over the captured fingers, slowly slipping them from Daniel's wetness as he delved his tongue in once more. The kiss, which started out fiery, soon softened and slowed until it became a series of tender pecks once more.

Daniel pulled away first then he blinked a few times as he stepped back, swaying a little from the giddiness he felt. Jack looked him up and down then met the lust filled eyes and smiled.

"Maybe I should help you with that?" He said, reaching out to run his hand over the straining groin.

Daniel hissed as he sucked in a breath but he just grinned and started to slowly undo his blue plaid shirt, one button at a time, starting from his belt and working up. "That's okay, I'm a big boy.. I can undress myself."

"Mind if I watch?" Jack leered, as the shirt started to fall open and the unfastened buttons revealed a soft, white stomach.

"I'd be pissed off if you didn't want to!"

Jack lifted his lecherous gaze to the unshielded blue eyes and he grinned. Slipping his hands inside the partly opened top he said, "Wouldn't want to piss you off!"

Daniel finished with the last button then looked down as Jack reached in to kiss his smooth chest softly. He inhaled deeply, making the chest beneath Jack's lips expand - which, in turn, made Jack groan wantonly.

"So soft, so smooth," the older man mumbled quietly as he gripped the edges of the shirt, almost for support, while he passed his face across the hairless pecs.

"So boring," Daniel said, his chin so far down he was almost making a double chin in order to watch Jack kiss across his body. The gray head turned to look up at him.

"You are kidding, right?" Jack said, straightening up now to look directly into Daniel's eyes.

With a few blinks, Daniel shook his head then he slipped his hands up the front of his partner, gathering up the sweater as he went. Jack quickly pulled it off all the way and let it drop into a puddle behind him. Daniel's hands roamed over the black t-shirt, feeling the undulation of the fit body within, the tiny hard nubs of the erect nipples and the bulk of the dog-tags nestled on a bed of curls.

"This!" He hissed as he tugged the top eagerly from Jack's pants then pushed it up the lean body, gathering it under his partner's chin as he lowered his face and rubbed his eyes, nose and mouth over the hairy chest. "Now *this*, is heaven!" He sighed and kissed the salty skin repeatedly.

"Whatever floats your boat, Space Monkey!" Jack sighed, enjoying the onslaught of lips and tongue over his sensitive chest. He gripped the edges of Daniel's shirt once more and slipped them off over the back of his shoulders. Stepping back again Daniel tugged the tails of his shirt from his pants.

Jack completely removed his t-shirt then used the opportunity, while Daniel was busy, to clasp him by the waist before he lowered his face to feast on the broad, well - muscled chest once more.

Sucking in a long, deep breath Daniel unfastened the remaining two buttons then, with the shirt caught at the folds in his arms still, he cupped Jack's head lightly before leaning down to whisper, "you float my boat, Jack!" He planted a kiss behind the ear on the roving head.

The older man grinned against the silken skin then he looked up at the eyes watching him closely. "I do, huh?" He asked, almost looking cocky.

Daniel smiled as he touched his fingertips to Jack's cheek, the shirt slipping back up onto his shoulder when he did. "Big time."

Jack threaded his fingers through the cropped blond hair again and tugged Daniel closer for another searing kiss. During the kiss he grabbed the edges of Daniel's shirt and eased it back over the smooth, white shoulders again then down the muscular arms, his own work-toughened hands feeling their way over the soft skin easily. As their tongues dueled he heard the faint 'chinge' of a belt being unfastened and followed Daniel's lead by reaching down to undo his own belt. Over soft moans the sound of two zippers being opened could be heard, simultaneously, then with lips still fastened and tongues still dueling, both men eased their own pants down their legs and off over their socked feet.

Jack's hands automatically found Daniel without searching, easily holding him around the hips and drawing the bodies closer again so that the loose boxer shorts he wore were pressed against the tight-fitting style of boxers Daniel had opted for that morning.

Jack's hand almost did a pantomime as they felt across the firm ass, down the curve and onto the tops of Daniel's thighs where a finger slipped under the tight hem on the leg. Daniel smiled against the other mouth then he pulled back. Jack instantly looked down then slapped his hand over his face as he said, "Jesus!"

The soft cotton boxers were contoured to the precise shape of the younger man, highlighting the very obvious erection within the dark gray cloth - pointing straight up, and almost reaching the top elastic band. "Nice, very nice!"

Daniel smiled and titled his head. "The shorts? Or... what's in them?"

Jack grinned. "Having had the pleasure already," he sighed with a smile, "I'll say both!" Slowly sunk to his knees, rubbing his face into the cloth-covered groin.

Daniel reached down, resting his hands on the slightly freckled shoulders, as he whispered, "Can I take my socks off first?"

Jack looked up at him then placed a hand behind Daniel's knee then slowly slipped his hand down the golden hairs covering the curved calf muscle and onto the ankle. He gripped the top of the socks and eased them over the long, sinewy foot, kissing the top of the soft, white foot. Removing the other sock too, Jack started at Daniel's ankle and slowly worked up the inside of his leg until he reached the hem of the shorts. His hand slid over the surface, feeling, first the warm spongy sac then the hard rod angled slightly from it towards the elastic waistband.

"Jack," Daniel whispered as he bent over, dropping his face as close as he could to the one suckling at the groin through the cloth. "Jack, are we going to make it to your bedroom?"

The older man looked up, his nose pink from pressing it against the hardness. With a lustful look in his eyes he said, "No," as he gripped the back of the shorts and ripped them down to the soft curve of Daniel's butt. Gliding his finger under then band, he encircled the body all they way to the front of the shorts then he crooked his finger and used it to peel the shorts from the jutting cock. Daniel gasped as he straightened up and rolled his head back. He was vaguely aware of the voice of appreciation then no sound was heard as the throbbing head was sucked down Jack's throat.

"Oh GOD!" Daniel cried out, latching onto the back of Jack's head, holding him still as he gently eased himself in and out of the hot, moist mouth.

Fisting his hand around the base of the cock, Jack eased his mouth off with a loud suction noise before he tilted his head and captured one of the hanging balls between his lips. Daniel started making soft sounds, almost like, 'shh'.. shhh" and Jack wondered if he was trying to swear in another language or not. He let the soggy sac slip from his lips then he looked up from where he was kneeling between Daniel's feet.

The younger man looked down, cupped his hand under Jack's chin and lifted him to his feet. Standing chest to chest, Daniel held Jack's gaze as he slipped his hands down the curve of his partner's back until they touched the waist elastic of the blue plaid boxers he was wearing. Slipping his thumbs inside, Daniel lightly laid his fingers over the cloth as he squeezed Jack closer and kissed him, repeatedly, as tenderly as he could bear to. Arching back, he looked into Jack's darkened eyes as he slowly inched the shorts down over the perfect globes and dropped them, leaving them to fall for themselves, down the solid legs to pool around Jack's socked feet.

Resting his hand on Daniel's shoulder Jack lifted first one foot then the other out of the leg holes, and at the same time he divested himself of his socks as well. Straightening up, he kicked the underwear off to the side as he gazed deeply into the simmering blue pools.

Jack's fingertips glided feather-light across the smooth, pink cheeks and over the golden stubble of Daniel's jowl.

"What they hell is someone like you doing with me, Dr Jackson?" He asked in a husky voice, lowered by arousal.

"I'm hoping to fuck you, Colonel O'Neill..." Daniel responded, allowing his lightly calloused fingers to inch over Jack's soft ass and towards his cleft.

Jack gripped the impertinent face and crushed their mouths together, sucking furiously at the eager man's tongue. The bodies rubbed together again, capturing the twin rods against their stomachs, which encouraged more of the music-less dance between them; just for the sensation of feeling their silky cocks slip together.

During the consuming kiss Daniel's arms hooked under Jack's and curled up to grip long fingers into the muscular shoulders while one of Jack's arms snaked around the narrower waist and the other squeezed between the tight bodies to touch at an erect nipple.

By applying light pressure, Jack eased back from his tenacious lover to ask, "So you're a top?" He traced the kiss-swollen bottom lip with the tips of his index and middle fingers.

"Both," Daniel said, nipping at the fingers playfully.

A wanton grin grew slowly across Jack's rugged features. "Sweet," He said. "Me, too."

Daniel fully captured the tanned fingers between his teeth and smiled. "Well, we're going to have fun then, aren't we?"

Jack's other hand slithered down the gently curved spine, down between the two small dimples then into the warm cleft. "Who goes first?"

"Well, it's Christmas, Jack. Do you want to be the gift giver.. or the recipient of the present?"

Jack inhaled a shaky breath as he slipped his hand between their stomachs and gripped the tip in his fist. Squeezing hard, he watched Daniel's eyes flutter close momentarily.

"Gee, and there I was thinking I got my gift yesterday.." He laughed.

"You did – me! Though I'm the kind of gift that just keeps giving.." Daniel said softly as he nipped Jack's chin.

"Good," the colonel sighed. "Cos I'm greedy. I like to get.."

With his eyes still closed, Daniel smiled and said, "Good, I'm far more of the mind that it's better to give than to receive.."

"We can swap presents next time.."

The azure orbs opened quickly. "I have to forewarn you, Jack..."

"Oh?" Jack's hips grounded the shafts into Daniel's stomach.

"I'm not Action Jackson... I'm more of a one hit wonder..."

Jack shrugged and dipped his face to kiss Daniel's collarbone. "Kinda noticed that last night, baby!" He watched Daniel's face flinch then smiled and said, "But don't worry, because I'm a snuggler - so we each have our faults." He laughed then looked up again.

"I don't class snuggling as a fault," Daniel said, gliding his hands from Jack's shoulder, down the valley of his spine, over the gentle curve leading to the small of his back then up over the two, rounded globes - which he squeezed firmly, dragging Jack up onto his toes.

"Whoa, Danny! Where'd you get to be so strong?"

"You'd rather I was weak and demure?" The lashes fluttered.

Jack groaned and dragged his hands down the strong arms holding him, as he murmured, "Definitely not! What's so sexy about you is that your body's almost as powerful as your mind." He pressed a kiss to Daniel's Adam's apple.

"Thank you," the kissed man mumbled, "I think."

Jack's hands slipped over the ones clasping his butt tightly and Daniel released him, allowing their fingers to intertwine. Bringing the hands to the front again, Jack brushed his lips across the small tufts of hair above each of Daniel's knuckles as he muttered, "You know, this is when you say something nice like I'm not just brawn but brains too.. something like that." His brow shot up hopefully.

A slow smile crept across Daniel's face then he ducked his face and kissed along Jack's collarbone instead. "Yeah, great. Thanks.." Jack grumbled under his breath making Daniel chuckle and look up.

"You honestly think I'd be standing here, in this living room, freezing my ass off if I wasn't attracted to the full O'Neill package?"

"Getting blue balls, Daniel?" The older man leered.

"Sorta.." Daniel whispered, "So let's stop the talking.." As he spoke he leaned closer, his breath floating over Jack's lips gently.

"The linguist wants to stop th..." Jack was silenced as Daniel pushed his tongue deep into his mouth. He didn't need any further hints. Wrapping his arms tightly around his partner, Jack returned the kiss with unbridled passion.

Pulling back to catch his breath, Daniel's gaze was confident as he eased his groin away from Jack's and slipped his hand between them, gripping both shafts while clasping a handful of gray hair to guide Jack's face closer again. Before the gap was fully closed Daniel looked into Jack's eyes, grinned at the expression on his face then closed the gap, kissing him intently.

This time there was no playfulness. Lips, tongues, breaths and sighs intermingled as the two of them became lost in the gentle art of kissing and exploring. They alternated intense, teeth-gnashing passion with light and teasing tonguing.

The anthropologist's grip - firm and unfaltering - pumped them both, building them up slowly until Jack started thrusting into the hand, a clear indication that he was ready to move onto the next stage. Releasing himself and shoring up his hold on his lover, Daniel sunk to his knees, raining kisses down the furry body until he could nuzzle his face in the springy hairs on Jack's groin.

Jack's hands tousled the dark blond hair as Daniel engulfed the weeping tip between his lips. A groan, deep and loud, shook through the standing man seconds before his knees turned to jelly. Sensing his abrupt descent Daniel reached up, helping to guide him down, at first to his knees then down all the way onto his back. Sliding himself over the top of Jack now, Daniel hungrily kissed and nipped at the hairy chest, sucking the hairs into his mouth and toying his tongue with them and through them to the salty chest below. Jack's long fingers gripped the roaming head and, knowing the sweet torture Daniel could inflict on him, he tried hard not to push on him to return to his groin for more.

He needn't have worried. Daniel made his own way back to the jutting cock, and found it weeping already. He snaked his tongue out, licking up the pearly bead then teased the tiny slit while he gripped Jack in his fist once again.

"Danny," Jack hissed. "I want to taste you again!"

The younger man turned and knelt with Jack's head between his knees. He looked down upon the rugged face then touched his fingers to Jack's lips, smiling when the other man kissed them. Rising to his knees now Daniel leaned down onto his hands and positioned himself over Jack's face. With impatient hands pressing on his ass, Daniel gently eased into Jack's eager mouth.

As they pleasured each other Jack's fingertip traced the tight pucker and sensitive premium above him while Daniel moistened his fingers and inserted them, none too gently, into the writhing butt below him. His long fingers reached for the tiny nub and found it, striking it over and over to the obvious, and loud, enjoyment of his partner.

Jack spat the thick cock from his mouth, then parted Daniel's cheeks so that he could reach the tight pucker. First he pressed his finger against the tight bud and then he kissed him lightly, waiting to judge how Daniel reacted to the intimate action. When the younger man stopped his sucking and wriggled his butt enticingly before Jack's face, he had his answer.

"You like that?" The explorer asked the explored, slicking his fingers and rubbing them across the wrinkled opening

"Oooh, Yeah," Daniel said, kneeling back for a better angle but leaving his hands on Jack's hipbones. "You like it?" He asked, looking around his body at the man lying below him. Jack replied with a wicked glint in his eyes and a wonton smile on his face. Daniel grinned too and scrunched a hand over the furry stomach, then reached down and kissed the dark trail repeatedly.

Jack slid his hand up the crinkles in Daniel's folded stomach as the younger man leaned down onto his hipbones and continued to kiss him. Pressing his hand against the stomach Jack reached up and buried his face into the warm valley as he pushed his tongue against the opening.

Daniel breaths came in gasps as Jack's tongue teased then taunted the sensitive spot. To add to the pleasure, while he was doing that Jack's free hand slipped up and down the golden haired thighs then finally grasped the cock once more, pumping it slowly in time with his anal ministrations.

"Oh.. God.. yes.. Jack.. I.. I.." Daniel murmured, nothing making sense out of his mouth or in his head. His brain was in shutdown mode, his whole being was concentrated on the sensations burning in the pit of his stomach, his ass and his groin right now.

Knowing he was close to coming, Daniel reached down onto shaky arms then folded down onto his elbows as he cupped Jack's thighs in his hands. Doing this pulled him from Jack's touch slightly - and was probably the only reason he didn't cream himself all over Jack's stomach, embarrassing himself and destroying his plans for making love to his partner.

His fingers carefully parted the legs, digging into the soft flesh on Jack's white thighs. His lips brushed over the dark hairs littering Jack's thigh, He nuzzled against the courser hair, biting it between his lips then licking it with a wide, flat tongue. Jack groaned and slowly inserted his fingers into the sodden hole above him. Daniel yelped with pleasure then lost his thoughts a moment while Jack struck his target over and over.

Shaking slightly, Daniel cried out, "Stop!" Jack halted his movements immediately. In a voice raw with arousal Daniel said, "Make me moist, Jack," and then he groaned, making his whole body shiver when he felt the warmth of Jack's tongue coating his cock.

Moving swiftly, Daniel twisted on his knees, slipped one arm beneath Jack's butt to raise him off the floor then he tucked his knees beneath the limp body.

Dragging three fingers over his tongue, Daniel scraped enough saliva to drench Jack's opening and he guided himself between the cleft as their eyes met again.

Jack held a hand up and Daniel gripped it firmly with his left hand while using his other hand to position his cock against the puckered opening.

"Merry Christmas, Jack!" He said and with one firm push, he popped through the first ring of muscles.

"Oh - God- fuck - me!" Jack grimaced and hissed as his body spasmed around the intrusion. Searing pain, burning around the ring and up the back passage filled Jack's mind and was all he could think of until Daniel's movements halted. He realized he must have been repeating his first expletives as, when his mind cleared, he heard Daniel gasping, "Give me a minute here, Jack, I'm trying to!"

"Deeper!" Jack urged, wriggling to assist in the full penetration. With a loud cry, from both men, Daniel rammed himself completely to his base, butting against Jack's prostate and showering him in intense internal electricity.

"Sweet.. heaven," Jack sighed and rocked his hips, enjoying the sensation of being filled so fully. His legs went limp and seemed to float around by Daniel's shoulders as the younger man - brow set in concentration and dimples of sheer determination on his face - began to settle himself from the frantic thrust to get into the tight opening to the gently rhythm of two lovers making lover.

Daniel released Jack's hand finally - and the older man flexed his crushed hand and made a mental note not to let Daniel do that again! Instead he used that hand to swipe across Daniel's sweat-slicked forehead, brushing back his fringe - not that there was much there. Daniel responded with a smile then he turned his face and kissed the palm.

With each thrust Daniel scooted Jack a little further up the rug towards the hearth, but neither seemed to notice the growing heat nor the carpet burn on their back or knees as they concentrated on the sensation of finally expressing their pent up desires.

Daniel slipped one hand up and over the thigh by his shoulder, gripping the leg around the knee and hooking it across his shoulder. Jack laughed, tickled by Daniel's touch and the kisses he was now raining over the shot-haired thighs.

"Arg, God, but your so sexy Jack!" Daniel whispered as he lasciviously kissed the inside of Jack's knee then down towards the coarse hair again. Unable to reach that far down at that angle he slipped his hand around the throbbing cock between them.

"Look at me.." He whispered. Jack's eyes opened slightly and they both smiled.

"If I keep looking at you, I'm going to explode.." Jack told him honestly. Daniel's hand left the shaft and glided up the hairy body, across the chest then into the warm, moist mouth. Slipping from the mouth, Daniel cupped his hand behind Jack's neck, using it as a brace to increase his thrusts.

Gritting his teeth he rolled his head back, his throat arching above Jack's hungry mouth. The older man reached up, gripped him behind the head and pulled him down where he could reach the slender throat. He bit, sucked and kissed Daniel's throat, up under his ears and across the stubble-covered jaw until his lips felt numb. Daniel's breathing grew more and more erratic with every caress of Jack's mouth.

He forcefully slammed into Jack now, knowing from the groans of pleasure that Jack could take the treatment and what was more, he wanted it. Gripping the thighs in his hands again, Daniel adjusted his angle slightly and started to strike the nub with every hit.

Jack gasped and shivered, knowing that he was about to hit his apex. Soon Daniel started to tremble, and Jack knew that he, too, was about to finish. The long fingers dug into the soft white fleshy thighs as Daniel started to shake, crying out in one loud gasp as he came inside his lover - a year of suppressed desire finally finding a home and washing over the insides of Jack O'Neill now. He jerked and twitched, slowly milking himself in the tight ring until he'd become too sensitive and had to pull out.

He immediately turned his attention onto Jack, his hand gripping the shaft while he kissed every inch of Jack's stomach.

"Come for me, Jack," He whispered against the soft, dark hairs before turning his face and sucking him as far down his throat as he could.

"Oh.. Jesus.. Danny.. !" Jack cried out, arching off the floor as he came, squirting out in four bursts only to be swallowed up completely. "Oh.. Jez-zuz!" He sighed as he melted and tried not to pump the air and whoop at the same time.

Daniel collapsed beside him, falling onto the rug and laid sprawled beside him.

It took Jack all his effort to roll onto his side and rest his head against Daniel's shoulder. The younger man untucked his arm and danced his fingers lightly up the quivering spine. As he inhaled for a yawn, he asked, "What?"

Jack reached up and stole the yawn as it spilled from Daniel's mouth and the weary man chuckled and pressed on Jack's forehead, pushing him away. "Weird!" He muttered before rolling onto his side and curling up slightly.

"Cold?" Jack asked, running his hand down the entire side of the curled body beside him.

"Yeah, sort of.." Daniel said, looking at him through heavy-hooded eyes.

"Come on," Jack said with a grin and a jut of his head as he got to his feet. Daniel held one hand up and let Jack drag him up to his feet. They wrapped arms around each other and stumbled towards the bedroom. Daniel's hand caressed Jack's chest and dog tags while Jack kept planting kisses on the side of Daniel's head.

Falling into the bed, Daniel curled up again but soon uncurled when Jack slipped into the bed beside him and pulled the blankets up over them.

"Hey, space monkey.." He nudged the almost-asleep man. There was just a grunt in response. "Thanks for sharing this Christmas with me..."

The sleepy man made the effort to look at him, a dreamy smile on his face. "I'm glad you asked me to join you."

Jack brushed his fingers across Daniel's forehead, eliciting a gentle moan from the caressed man. "I thought this was going to be my worst Christmas ever. They were special times for Mom. She loved to have the family around her....." Daniel tightened his hold on his lover as Jack went on, without stopping, to say, "But you made it the best one for me. You probably gave me the one present she always wanted me to have.."

"Sex?"

Jack grinned. "Well, okay... maybe not.."

Daniel chuckled then said, "Sorry, that was irreverent.."

"Yeah, you bastard!" Jack laughed then kissed him as he squeezed him tightly. "But you know what I mean?" Jack asked, getting serious again. Daniel looked deeply into his eyes. He did know. He felt it too but it was way too early to speak it yet. And they were in no rush. They had plenty of time to declare that.

Smiling and pressing a kiss against Jack's nipple, Daniel said, "This has been the best Christmas for me, too. I could have done without the plane flights, but getting to meet your family, sharing that special time with them... and with you.."

"Playing Pictionery..?" Jack teased.

"Bastard," Daniel mumbled under his breath then he said, more loudly, "Never again. Don't even think to ask me, Jack."

"I won't." The older man chuckled as he reached down and kissed his lover's mouth tenderly. "Merry Christmas, Daniel."

Daniel rolled onto him a little more as he snaked his hand around his head and pulled him into a languid kiss - with the flush of first frantic passion now satiated their tenderness could prevail. They parted, only far enough so that their lips still brushed as Daniel said, "Merry Christmas." Then they closed the gap and kissed tenderly until they felt satiated again.

With renewed tiredness they settled down once more - Jack with one arm around Daniel's shoulder and the other tucked behind his own head, and Daniel with his head resting high on his partner's chest, high enough so that his breath puffed over Jack's throat. His heavy eyelids began to close when Jack spoke again.

"Danny, I've got to ask you something..."

"Hmm?" He kissed the side of Jack's throat languidly.

The older man's fingers caressed the top of Daniel's arm, feeling the muscles bunching beneath the surface as Daniel's fingers shifted in their caress. With quiet seriousness he asked him, "What was in the box..?"

Daniel frowned then lifted his sleepy face. "What box?"

Jack quirked a brow - waiting for Daniel to remember the box he was talking about........

**The END**

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